After a year of extreme weather events, East Suffolk Council Leader Cllr Caroline Topping is urging communities to think ahead and ensure that they are ready and able to respond to local emergencies.
After the recent wildfires in Dunwich, which in turn followed flooding and coastal erosion issues in recent times, Cllr Topping says it is more important than ever for towns and parishes to have clear Community Emergency Plans which detail exactly how they would respond in the event of an emergency, be it a natural weather event or otherwise.
East Suffolk Council and the county’s Joint Emergency Planning Unit (JEPU) are hosting a webinar on Emergency Preparedness and Building Community Resilience on 1 October. It is designed to help Town and Parish Councils and Community Emergency Planning Groups better prepare for unexpected events and crises, and Cllr Topping hopes as many representatives as possible will attend.
She said: “East Suffolk Council takes its responsibility to help communities prepare for emergencies incredibly seriously and our Emergency Planning Officers and Resilience Coordinator work hard to ensure that local groups understand how to be ready for different scenarios.
“We want people to understand local risks and know what resources they have available to help minimise the impact of an emergency on their community. Experience shows that those who are prepared cope better when something unexpected occurs.
“There are many community groups, towns, parishes, and wards who have produced a plan already, but there are some who haven’t and given recent events – with the increased likelihood of further emergencies due to climate change – I would urge as many as possible to get ready.”
Community Emergency Plans contain a wealth of useful, practical information, which all local people can refer to and act upon. This includes establishing key emergency contacts, places of safety, skills needed and volunteering. One location which already has an effective Emergency Plan is Westleton, and their response to the Dunwich wildfires was thanks in no small part to their preparation.
Cllr Topping continued: “The incredible response in Westleton during the wildfires was an example of a prepared community which had plans in place should something occur. As a Council, we were able to liaise smoothly with the village hall committee and enact our rest centre operation effectively.
“So, while the Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service were working extraordinarily hard to extinguish the fire, we were able to support people affected in a planned and co-ordinated way. The more communities that understand and prepare for such risks, the more effectively we will be able to respond."
Representatives of local communities should complete a registration form if they wish to attend the webinar, which is on Thursday 1 October from 5-6pm.
Find more information on the webinar.
Further information about emergency preparedness in East Suffolk and the county as a whole.