Being Prepared – what do we really mean by that? 

You are probably now all imagining Action Man or Lara Croft, well being prepared is not about being the next one of them, it’s about you and making sure you know what the risks, impacts and mitigation methods are that might affect you. It can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. Below are hopefully some simple pointers you can follow which should help to increase your resilience. 

ICE Contacts

Ever wondered what that stands for? Its In Case of Emergency. Its not something we we often think about, but it can be really important.

What's great about Emergency contacts is that once an emergency contact is set up, even if your phone is locked you can simply select Emergency call at the bottom of the screen to see and call ICE numbers. This could be very important if one day you are injured and someone needs to contact your designated family or friends. 

Emergency Contacts Written Down

In the world we live in today, we rely on everything being accessible on our phones or online. What if we can't access that, how would you find those important numbers of family or your insurance? Keep some written down somewhere safe in case you ever need them. 

Spare Blankets and Water in the car

We have all seen the families stood by the roadside when their car has broken down awaiting recovery. These are situations everybody sympathises with as its not fun or pleasant and is often cold. Having a spare jumper, blanket and bottle of water in the car, won't make up for the broken down car but it will enable you to feel a little more comfortable while you wait. Plus it won't take up much space in your boot!

Staying in contact with your family in an emergency

Have you ever thought about how you would stay in contact with your family in an emergency, below is some advice:

• Use non-voice channels as these are less likely to be broken up and will use less battery (e.g. texting or social media)
• If using a phone, keep conversations brief and short ensuring battery is conserved
• Keep extra batteries to charge your phone
• Keep peoples email addresses in your phone, as they maybe handy

Turning off your water and gas

Do you know where and how to switch off your gas and water in an emergency?

Its worth checking where these are and showing family, just in case you need to quickly turn them off in an emergency

Vulnerable Neighbours

Consider your vulnerable neighbours in an emergency, will they need any extra assistance? Just offering some help may make the world of difference as they are likely to find coping with an emergency more difficult than yourself.

Power packs

Having a power pack that's charged can be very helpful in an emergency or power cut. Even if it just charges a phone, this will help you stay in contact with loved ones.