The safest course of action in an emergency is to go inside stay away from windows and doors and await instruction from the emergency services or a Council employee.
For more information, tune into local radio and television stations and listen out for public safety, information or updates broadcast from the police and other local responders.
The local Brentwood radio stations include:
- BBC Essex – 103.5 & 95.3 FM
- Heart FM 102.6 & 96.3 FM
- Phoenix FM – 98 FM
Think about staying in contact with your family and friends if you become separated.
Consider pre-planned meeting places or pick a relative who lives away from the area as a contact for you and your family to call and assure you are okay.
- Think about the types of situation you may encounter – being stuck in extreme weather or being evacuated from your home or place of work
- Discuss with your family and agree what you would do and how you would achieve this
- Write down your plan of action as a simple list
Discussing what you plan to do in the event of an emergency situation makes you and your family more prepared should and emergency occur, which greatly increases your resilience.
Emergency grab bag
It is easy to forget vital items in the panic of an evacuation, which is why it is good practice to maintain a small emergency grab bag of essential items.
These should include:
- Prescription medicines
- Toiletries
- Essential contact list including: Doctors/ Carers/ close relatives
- Copies of identity documents
- Small first aid kit
- Radio and Torch
- Spare batteries
- Notebook, pencil
- Spare glasses (if necessary)
- Insurance details
- Spare house/ car/ work keys
- Cash and/or bank card
- Any other resources specific to your needs
Brentwood Borough Council’s Emergency Planning team have produced a Household Emergency Plan Template pdf which can be filled in with information that will be useful in the event of an emergency that affects you or your family. The plan only takes a few minutes to complete, so why wait? Take one small step towards increasing your family’s resilience.