During and After Emergencies
During Emergencies:
The best thing you can do in an emergency
incident is to try to remain calm, think before acting and try to
reassure others. Information will be available on the Bedford
Borough Council website.
- Make sure 999 has been called if people are
injured or if there is a threat to life
- Don’t put yourself or others in danger, let
the emergency services deal with potentially dangerous
situations
- Follow the advice of the emergency
services
- Check for injuries - remember to help
yourself before attempting to help others
- Look out for vulnerable neighbours
If you are not involved in the incident, but
are close by or believe you may be in danger, in most cases the
advice is:
- GO IN - Go inside a safe building
- STAY IN - Stay inside until you are advised
to do otherwise
- TUNE IN - Tune in to local radio, TV
and local emergency websites for more information.
Evacuation:
If your house is affected by the incident or
in the surrounding area, the Emergency Services may ask you to
evacuate your property for your own safety. In the event of an
evacuation, Bedford Borough Council will open an Emergency
Assistance Centre to cater for basic immediate needs which will be
staffed by Bedford Borough Council volunteers and voluntary
organisations.
If you are asked to evacuate then you can take important
numbers, a mobile phone, and charger and important documents such
as birth certificates, passports and insurance policies. See the
Home Emergency Kit pages for more
information on what to pack in preparation for evacuation.
After an Emergency:
Once the response phase of the emergency has
been dealt with, the recovery phase will start. While the
Local Authority takes the lead in recovery after the
emergency, it does not have the resources to help every individual
or business affected by the emergency. The Council will direct its
limited resources to help those who are vulnerable. The Borough
Council may also co-ordinate voluntary support from local voluntary
groups to support people. For more information visit the
Bedfordshire Local Resilience Forum website.
If you have been flooded there is some
practical advice on how to
clear up and dry out affected areas of your property from the
flood forum.
