Community and Living >> Emergencies
What to do in an Emergency
Hastings Borough Council's Emergency Planning Service operates in partnership with Rother District Council and all other Category 1 Responders nominated within the Civil Contingencies Act.
The Emergency Planning Service ensures that the Council is prepared to respond to any major emergency which occurs within the Borough, to support neighbouring authorities and emergency services and to respond to national disasters should they occur.
In the event of a major emergency the points of contact are:
Emergency Services - 999
Hastings Borough Council (local authority services) - 01424 787999 / Out of Hours duty officer
Our Further Information page provides links to national and local emergency services and agencies, and to online resources by emergency type.
The Government's 'Preparing for Emergencies' (.pdf 1083KB) booklet has been designed to provide information on how you can help yourself and your family in emergencies.
Advice to Residents
If an emergency occurs
In all cases,any type of emergency can be far more
easily managed if both the residents in the area
concerned and the co-ordinating authorities take a
common sense approach to the problem.
The principal advice is therefore:
- Listen to your Radio or Television for
information
- Watch out for leaflets coming through your
door
- Try to ensure that windows and doors remain
closed to prevent any unwanted fumes
coming in
- Tell you neighbours that you are at home
- Use the telephone as little as possible
- Check information on this web site
Follow instructions from Police Officers or
authorised and identified representatives of the
Council where necessary.
Please use information telephone lines when
they are publicised on radio and television. These lines will be established to ensure enquiries and information can be dealt with quickly and other telephone lines can remain free.
Stay at home unless you can offer professional help e.g. medical personnel. Do not make any unnecessary journeys.
Preparation for emergencies
- Keep in touch with your neighbours and particularly Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinators.
- Water: Each individual needs a minimum of 1.5
litres of water per day. Consider methods of storage e.g. bottled, existing water cistern, PVC carry bottles. Keep water refrigerated if possible.
- Heat / Lighting: A building should hold its heat
for a reasonable time, to prevent hypothermia
blankets, thermal blankets and some form of
alternative heating should be provided.
Emergency forms of lighting should be available.
- Medicine: Lack of medicine could turn a controlled
situation into a medical emergency. Ensure any
prescription medicines are in date and available. Keep details of medicines you need.
- Food: Tinned foods are useful but a flask of hot
drink made before any power cut could be even
more beneficial.
- Power: We are very reliant on electrical power and residents would be well advised to ensure that a
good torch with batteries is available. Try to have a battery operated radio available for use in the home. Ensure you have spare batteries.
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This page last updated: 03/04/2006
