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Preparing for an emergency

How can you prepare for an emergency?

We all hope that emergencies never happen to us, but there are a few things you can do that will help to minimise its impact on you and your family. This page looks at:

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Emergency Awareness Pocket Guides

The Council's Emergency Planning Team have developed credit card sized folding guides (with an orange cover) which offer advice on how to prepare for an emergency as well as providing space for you to write your own emergency contacts. These awareness guides can then be carried in your wallet, purse or pocket and will hopefully give you peace of mind about what to do in an emergency.

The Emergency Awareness Pocket Guides can be collected from libraries, leisure centres and Council customer service centres. These guides are also available in larger print and have a blue cover.

An Emergency Awareness Pocket Guide has also been developed for pet owners, this focuses on how to plan for an emergency in regards to the welfare of your pet. These can be collected from Wood Green Animal Shelters on Lordship Lane and has a green cover.

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Haringey Emergency Alert Service

Sign up to the Haringey Emergency Alert Service to receive a text or email when an emergency is happening in your area.

For more information see the Haringey Emergency Alert Service page

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In Case of Emergency contact

If you have a mobile phone, save your next of kin/emergency contact with the prefix “ICE”. For example:

ICE <mother’s name> 020 1234 5678

ICE <partner’s name> 020 1234 5678

This will allow the Emergency Services to contact your family in the event of something happening where you are unable to contact them yourself.

Keeping important contact information in an accessible place will save time in the event of an emergency when you may need these contacts quickly. Some suggestions of important numbers are:

  • Doctor
  • Vet
  • Child’s school
  • Work
  • Gas/Electricity/Water provider
  • Insurance provider (and policy number)
  • Emergency Services.
  • Carer/Social worker

Here are some numbers you may find useful to make a note of:

  • Emergency Services – 999
  • NHS Direct – 0845 4647
  • Haringey Council – 020 8489 0000
  • Thames Water – 0845 9200 800
  • National Grid Transco Gas – 0800 111 999
  • EDF Energy – 0800 028 247
  • Environment Agency Flood Line – 0845 988 1188
  • Transport for London – 0843 222 1234
  • BBC London – 94.9FM
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Emergency Supplies

An emergency can happen at any time and may involve you being asked to evacuate your home or being asked to stay indoors for the duration of the emergency. Knowing what supplies you may need during this time can ease the stress of an emergency, you may even want to put some of these items in a bag stored in a safe but accessible place ready to grab and go.  

Suggested items that you may need in an emergency are:

  • Torch (and spare batteries)
  • Battery/wind up radio
  • First aid kit
  • Bottled water
  • Non perishable food (e.g. cereal bars)
  • Mobile phone (and charger)
  • Money and bank cards
  • Basic toiletries
  • Personal prescribed medicine
  • Identification
  • Home and car keys
  • Insurance documents
  • Warm layers of clothing or blankets
  • Sensible shoes
  • Waterproof layer/umbrella
  • Emergency contact numbers
  • Supplies for children such as nappies, favourite toy to comfort them, baby food
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Household Plans

Prior to an emergency you should plan with your family what you would do in an emergency, things to consider include:

  • Where would you meet if you were unable return to your house after work/school?
  • Do you have friends/families you could stay with in the event of having to evacuate your home?
  • Who will contact your child’s school if an emergency has happened whilst the child is at school?
  • Do you know how to turn off the gas and electricity supply to your home? Contact your provider if you are unsure
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Pets

If you are like the many pet owners in the borough, your pet is an important part of your household. For this reason it is important to plan for your pet as you would for your family in the event of an emergency. Here are some tips to help with that preparation:

  • Identify your pet – securely fasten a current identification tag to your pet’s collar. If you can, include the contact of a friend or family member as well as your own in case you are not able to be contacted.
  • Photograph your pet – Carry a photo of your pet to help identify them in the event you are separated.
  • Arrange for your pet to stay with a friend/family if you are evacuated from your home

Pet supplies

Have supplies readily available in the event you have to evacuate with your pet or are asked to remain indoors by the Emergency Services or Local Authority. This should include:

  • Food – enough for 3 days in an airtight, water proof container
  • Water – 3 days worth
  • Medication – also have the name and dosage of the medication written down
  • Harness or leash
  • Pet carrier or crate
  • Important documents (e.g. vaccination records)
  • Sanitation goods – pet litter and box, plastic bags and newspaper or paper towels
  • Contact numbers – vet, cattery/kennel, animal shelter
  • Familiar items – favourite toy, bedding (this will reduce the stress of your pet)
  • Pet first aid kit – this should contain items such as a towel/board to act as a stretcher, non-stick bandages, adhesive tape, sterile saline solution for flushing wounds and eyes, gauze, towels or cloth to stem bleeding.

If you must evacuate during an emergency, take your pet with you, do not leave them in your home on their own. However, if you are going to a public Rest Centre, it is important to understand that depending on the location of the Rest Centre, animals may not be allowed inside. To prepare for this arrange in advance whether your pet could stay with family or friends.

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What to do in an emergency

It is important in an emergency situation to remain calm, the Emergency Services and the Council will be working hard to respond to the emergency and will be keeping you informed of what is happening when possible.

The following advice can be applied for most emergencies:

Go in – go indoors immediately, do not collect children from school, schools have their own arrangements to deal with emergencies

Stay in – stay indoors until otherwise told it is safe to come out or advised to evacuate by the Council or Emergency Services

Tune in – check the Council’s news page for information, this will be updated as regularly as possible given the situation. If it is a London wide emergency BBC London radio and TV may interrupt their usual schedule to give updates.

The following advice should also minimise the stress caused to you and your family as well as assisting the Council and Emergency Services in responding to the emergency:

  • Ensure your emergency supplies are readily available
  • Contact family members to inform them of the situation and to start making arrangements if asked to evacuate.  Sometimes it is best to call one family member who is not affected directly by the emergency who can then pass on the information to other members of the family
  • If possible, check on neighbours, especially older people and people with disabilities
  • Follow the advice given by the Council or the Emergency Services – this advice will have been carefully considered and is in the interest of your safety and wellbeing.
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Page Last Updated: 3 February 2012

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