Emergency frequently asked questions
What is emergency planning?
What will Ealing Council do in an emergency?
How can I help my family?
How can I help my business?
Where can I find further information?
What
is emergency planning?
Emergency planning is the general term for the work that
the government, emergency services, health services and the council
do in preparing plans and procedures for dealing with any emergency
that might affect large numbers of people. The relevant
organisations liaise together to ensure that the emergency response
will be co-ordinated, and that staff training and exercises to test
the plans and procedures are carried out.
What
will Ealing Council do in an
emergency?
The council has 24 hour and seven days a week emergency
call-out arrangements, trained staff and an emergency control
centre so it can respond promptly to any major emergency or
disaster happening within or adjacent to the borough. A liaison
officer will go to the scene of the emergency to work directly with
the other emergency services. An emergency management team will
co-ordinate the council's overall response from the emergency
control centre. Emergency rest centres can be opened for large
numbers of evacuees, and shelter, refreshments and bedding
provided. Housing and welfare services, emergency catering and
transport can also be provided to support people made homeless as a
result of an emergency.
How
can I help my family?
You can cope with an emergency or disaster by preparing
in advance, and putting an
emergency plan (word) into place.
How
can I help my business?
Fires, explosions, flooding and water damage, bomb
threats, industrial action, loss of power supplies and
telecommunications can all affect businesses. Businesses can also
be evacuated for a variety of safety reasons.
The effects of disruption can be sufficient to cause the failure of many businesses. Small and medium sized enterprises are thought to be at particular risk, and are encouraged to develop business continuity plans.
The risks of disruption to businesses and the effects of any disruption can be significantly reduced by business continuity planning. This will minimise the risk of disruption occurring in the first place, and enable a business to respond quickly to the demands of major disruption should it occur.
For business continuity planning advice you can visit websites that provide information specifically for businesses.
Where
can I find further information?
You can find useful
sites
to visit that provide information to individuals, families and
businesses about preparing for an emergency.