Let us help you be prepared for emergencies

A new and improved Staffordshire Prepared website has launched, helping people take simple steps to be ready for emergencies.

Staffordshire Prepared is your guide to help you, your family, your business or organisation, and your community prepare for emergencies.

The new website is organised around clear user needs, all the content is written with plain and simple language in mind, and a bigger focus on what you can do to prevent or manage an emergency situation. The website has been broken up into four sections:

• In an emergency
• Know your risks
• Get prepared
• Preparing your business.

It is run by the Staffordshire Resilience Forum (SRF), which you can find out more about on the website. This is a group of local organisations, including the emergency services, local councils and health services, who work together to help keep Staffordshire safe.

Chief Fire Officer Glynn Luznyj, the current chairperson of the Staffordshire Local Resilience Forum, has welcomed the updated website, saying: “Prepared people build strong communities and it is our focus in the year ahead to improve the resilience of communities in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

“Life is full of unexpected moments. Incidents such as fires, floods and power outages will continue to occur and we must accept that external threats to this country are growing.

“Our new Staffordshire Prepared website will help you and your family be ready for emergencies and put you in a better place to help the most vulnerable around you too. Please do take the time to see what you need to be prepared and take those simple steps over time.”

We all lead busy lives, and some may not be able to do everything recommended. At the very least, everyone is encouraged to make a list of what they would include in a grab bag. A grab bag is a small bag of essentials you can pick up quickly if you need to leave your home in an emergency. It should include items like:

• A torch
• A phone charger or power bank
• A first aid kit
• Key documents (like ID and insurance)
• Any essential medication

The Staffordshire Prepared website can be found at https://www.staffordshireprepared.gov.uk/.