How to Help Yourself

There are many things that you can do to help yourself in an emergency. The different information below shows you various things you can do to make sure you are prepared and ready whenever an emergency may occur.

Family Emergency Plan

Prepare your family by creating a family Emergency Plan.

• Escape Routes.
• Family Communications.
• Utility shut-off and safety. 
• Insurance and vital records.
• Special needs.
• Caring for animals.
• Safety skills.

We also have produce a leaflet that provides guidance for residents in emergencies including flooding, fire and severe weather

Preparing a Grab Bag

Have you ever been in an everyday situation where you had wished you brought an something with you because it would have been useful?

In the event of an evacuation, there will be very little time to think about what you may need and it is therefore important to pre-empt the possibility of being evacuated and the conditions you will be exposed to.

We therefore encourage residents to make their own emergency grab bag which is prepared in advance, kept as near to the front door as possible and taken with you should the need arise. An example of what you may want to put in the bag is given below.

• A copy of your Family Emergency Plan.
• Details of regular prescription items for your family.
• Useful telephone numbers e.g. friends, family, insurance, doctors, utilities, etc.
• Mobile phone and charger.
• Important documents e.g. passport, birth certificates, insurance, etc.
• Toiletries.
• First aid kit.
• Bottles of water.
• Wind up or battery powered radio and spare batteries.
• Torch and spare batteries.
• Notebook and pen.
• Essential keys e.g. house, car, etc.
• Special items e.g. glasses / contact lenses, items for babies / children / elderly / disabled.
• Cash, debit / credit cards.
• Non perishable food (cereal bars etc).
• Supplies for very young children or pets.

This list is not exhaustive and can be tailored to the individual's needs.

First Aid

Learning basic first aid techniques can help every day, not just in an emergency.

Taking a short amount of time to learn the basics now could help to save a life. The British Red Cross and St John Ambulance provide training in basic First Aid.

Hazard Advice

There are always some preventive steps we can take to lessen the impact of an emergency event occurring or to deal with the disruption that will arise.

Some of the actions individuals and organisations can take to ensure they are properly prepared are detailed below.

	Human Health Find out about the steps you can take to reduce the risk of getting flu and help the spread of the virus.
	Threats Know what to look for; what are the key signs, and what to do in order to help guard against the risk of terrorism.
	Flooding You can prepare your property for flooding by adapting the building to try to prevent flood water getting in and damaging walls, floors and contents. You can also make improvements so that even if flood water gets into the building, it causes less damage and makes drying-out and cleaning faster and easier.
	Fire Find out simple steps to protect you and your family from fire Fire safety in the home Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service.