You are in the section: Services; Crime and community safety; Emergencies
In this section: Preparing for emergencies; What to do in an emergency; Advice on recovering after an emergency; Community risk registers; Keeping you informed

Preparing for emergencies

Develop your own emergency plan with your household members to prepare yourselves for what to do, how to find each other and how to communicate in an incident.

Ensure that you carry details of someone who can be contacted should something happen to you. The number should be entered on your mobile telephone as ICE [Name] (ICE stands for In Case of Emergency and is the contact the emergency services will use first).

The aim of the City of London Corporation is to assess every risk and help its resident and business communities to be fully informed and prepared. It works closely with the City of London Police and other emergency services, working to the procedures set out in the London Emergency Services Liaison Panel's Manual (1.5mb).

The City of London Corporation is legally bound by the requirements of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 - which aims at ensuring there is an appropriate level of preparedness to enable an effective multi-agency response to emergencies that may have a significant impact on the residential and business communities.

The City of London Corporation also works closely with other local authorities, utility services, faith sectors and voluntary organisations, to ensure resources and plans are in place.

Personal emergency plan and what to start thinking about

Households

Decide where your household will reunite after an emergency. Identify at least two places: one within a short walking distance of your home and another outside the City. Libraries, community centres or places of worship are good meeting points.
Familiarise yourself with your neighbourhood and regularly practice all possible exit routes from your home.
Designate a contact, friend or relative outside the City of London that household members can call if separated during an incident. If London phone circuits are busy, long-distance calls may be easier to make. This out of London contact can help you communicate with others.
Consider everyone’s needs, especially the elderly, people with disabilities and non-English speakers.
Know where and how to turn off water, gas and electricity supplies in your home. Consider that elderly or vulnerable neighbours might need your help.
Familiarise yourself with emergency plans for your work-place, school, child’s school or nursery and other relevant institutions.
Learn how to tune in to your local radio station.

Pet owners

Include provisions for your pet in a household emergency plan. Will friends or relatives outside your area be willing to accommodate you and your pets in an emergency? Would a neighbour, friend or family member look after your pet if you cannot return home?
Contact your vet, groomer, cattery, kennels to see if they provide shelter for animals during an emergency.
Acquire a carrier for your pet should it be required in an emergency. This can make pets feel safer and more secure.
Know where your pet hides so that you can easily find them in times of stress.
Make sure each pet has an ID chip, ID tag etc.
Assemble a ‘pet survival kit’ that can be ready to go wherever you are evacuating your pet to. You should consider including:

water, food and containers
leash/muzzle/harness
copy of all current vaccination, health records, license numbers and microchips numbers
medication for your pet (if needed)
pet carrier or a cage
plastic bags for pick-up
photo of your pet

Document it

Keep useful emergency contacts, Estate Office details and personal/medical information on you, for example on a card in your wallet.
Make a note of all exit routes from your home and neighbourhood.
Document your two rendezvous points. A foldaway map may come in handy.
Details of how and where to turn off water, gas and electricity supplies in your home.
Details of how to tune in to your local radio station.
Note any pet arrangements in the plan.

Now distribute it

Ensure all household members have a copy of your household emergency plan, contact details and maps as necessary.

Severe weather

If the temperature drops

It is always worth planning ahead and thinking about the preparations that you, your family and your community could usefully make.

Visit the "Get Ready for Winter" page on the Met Office website and the “Keep warm, keep well” page on NHS Choices to view tips on preparing for cold weather.

If it gets very hot

Hot weather can cause heat exhaustion in people and animals. Also, bacteria on food and rubbish develop more quickly in the heat. Find out how to stay safe around the home in hot weather, including keeping cool and taking extra care with food and waste.

Visit the “Heatwave: be prepared" page on NHS Choices for information on how to deal with extremely hot weather.

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