The Government has urged UK households to stock 13 items as part of its new emergency Be Ready campaign. Launched last month, the campaign aims to encourage households to take simple steps to stay prepared if everyday services are temporarily disrupted.
Campaign Aims to Boost Resilience
The Be Ready campaign is the first stage of a three-year effort to help households across the UK feel better prepared for events such as severe weather, which can affect services including power, water, phones and the internet.
Just days after the campaign was launched, the UK was hit by Storm Austen and Storm Boelo, which caused power cuts and major disruption to public transport services across the country.
Launching the campaign, Security Minister and MP Dan Jarvis said: "Those who can follow this advice should follow this advice. By taking simple steps to be ready for everyday emergencies like severe storms, people can reduce pressure on emergency services, helping them prioritise people who need more support in an emergency."
He added: "This is just the sort of community-focused campaign the UK needs to improve our resilience as a nation. It will bring us into line with European counterparts, where advice like this is a normal part of everyday life."
Households Advised on Supplies and Key Safety Steps
After the campaign was launched last week, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said people need to be better prepared for dealing with emergencies and defended Government advice to stockpile food, water and other essentials.
People are encouraged to have three days' worth of supplies, including food, water, batteries, torches, baby or pet food, among other items. The Government has also published an "emergency checklist" advising what people should do to be prepared.
Households are urged to familiarise themselves with three key things in their home: the water stop cock, the gas isolation valve, and the electricity isolation switch. Part of the Government's emergency Be Ready plan reads: "If you have time and it is safe to do so, you might need to turn off the mains water, gas or electric to your home during an emergency. Familiarise yourself with where these are."
It adds: "WARNING: You can turn the water and electricity back on yourself but NOT THE GAS. This must be done by a qualified engineer."
Full List of 13 Items to Stock
- Bottled water (3 litres per person per day for at least 3 days)
- Non-perishable food to last at least 3 days that does not require cooking or refrigerating (e.g. tinned meat, fruit or vegetables) and tin opener
- Hand sanitiser, wet wipes, hygiene and bathroom products
- Torch (battery/wind up) and spare batteries - torches are safer than candles
- Blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothing
- FM radio (battery/wind up) to get updates during a power cut
- Portable power bank to charge phone and medical devices (if compatible)
- Cash (mix of coins and notes) and cards
- Copies of IDs/important documents
- First aid kit / first aid items
- Essential medication or medical supplies to last several days
- Baby products (e.g. nappies, wipes and ready-made formula)
- Pet products (food and bottled water)
