Community Resilience Plan

Why should my community have an Emergency Plan? 

Emergencies are rare, but they can happen.  In the last few years, Essex has experienced severe winter weather, flooding, travel disruption, fuel shortages and a flu outbreak.  Challenges like these can affect our daily lives.

The good news is that communities can prepare themselves for emergencies and it can make a big difference to how people can cope.  When we talk about communities, it can be any group of people, a parish or ward, area or any other group of people.

More resilient communities:

• Are aware of the risks that may affect them and how vulnerable they are to those risks
• Use their existing skills, knowledge and resources to prepare for, and deal with, the consequences of an emergency
• Understand who are the most vulnerable people within their community, who may need extra assistance
• Can work together to complement the work of the emergency services and Local Authorities before, during and after an emergency

This isn't about doing the job of the emergency services and Local Authorities.  It's about supporting your community, and those in it, by making sensible preparations and using the skills and knowledge that the community has.