Emergency planning and extreme weather
Horsham District Council is part of the Sussex Resilience Forum, a partnership of local organisations including emergency services, the Environment Agency, health providers and volunteer and private agencies. We work together to prepare for and respond to any major emergency within Sussex. Under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004) every part of the United Kingdom is required to establish a resilience forum.
Should a major emergency occur in Horsham District, we will:
- Support the emergency services
- Assist people who have been affected
- Support the community during the recovery process
- Provide public information via the media
- Maintain essential Council services
How would you prepare for an emergency?
In a newly launched website, central government is encouraging people to think about what they would do if they and those around them were exposed to risks ranging from floods to fires to power cuts.
The website, gov.uk/prepare provides simple and effective steps people can take to be more prepared (see link below). Taking action in advance will make it easier to manage an emergency if it does happen.
Top tips on how to prepare for an emergency
Five simple things you can do now:
- Find out if you are eligible to sign up to your gas, electricity and water supplier’s Priority Service Registers, so
companies know that you need additional support. - Set a reminder in your phone or make a note on your calendar to check your smoke alarm once a month.
- Write down important phone numbers on paper such as the number to report a power cut (105) and the numbers
of anyone you might want to contact in an emergency. - Talk to your children about how and when to call 999 and what they should do if there’s an emergency, such as a
fire at home. - Check your long term flood risk and sign up for flood and weather warnings.