UK households are being urged to identify three key items in their homes as part of the Government's new emergency Be Ready campaign. Rolled out last week, the scheme is designed to encourage households to take simple steps to stay prepared in case everyday services are temporarily knocked out.
It represents the opening phase of a three-year campaign to help households across the UK feel better equipped for incidents such as extreme weather, which can disrupt services including power, water, phones and the internet.
Three Vital Home Features to Know
Households are being told to familiarise themselves with three vital features in their properties. To safely turn off water, gas or electricity during an emergency, all UK residents should know where to find the water stop cock, the gas isolation valve, and the electricity isolation switch.
Part of the Government's emergency Be Ready plan states: "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 continues: "WARNING: You can turn the water and electricity back on yourself but NOT THE GAS. This must be done by a qualified engineer."
Official Guidance and Support
Security Minister and MP Dan Jarvis urged: "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."
Stockpile Advice and Emergency Checklist
After the campaign launched last week, Prime Minister Andy Burnham stated that people must be better equipped to handle emergencies, and has backed Government guidance to stockpile food, water and other essential supplies.
He observed that "unexpected events seem to be becoming more and more common", and suggested that, alongside the recommended emergency supplies, people should be permitted "a glass or two" of wine to help them through a challenging situation.
The public has been advised to stockpile three days' worth of supplies, including food, water, batteries, torches, baby or pet food, and various other essentials. As well as setting out these necessities, the Government has published an "emergency checklist" outlining the steps people should take to ensure they are properly prepared. This covers food, water, hygiene products, torches, batteries, communication devices, money and documents, first aid kits, medication, baby supplies, and pet supplies.
