The UK government has officially launched its new ‘Be Ready’ campaign, encouraging households across the country to take a series of simple but effective steps to make sure that they are as prepared as possible should there be an emergency. The campaign will gradually grow over time but has started with a checklist of things that people can do to ensure that they’re not left high and dry in the event of an emergency that could cause our everyday services to be disrupted.
From severe weather to cyber attacks, there are a handful of events that could affect the UK’s access to power, water, or the internet. The newly-published advice marks the start of a 3-year campaign that hopes to improve the nation’s resilience. Many of the suggested steps are quick and cost free, whilst others have been designed to remain as low-cost and accessible as possible. Wes Streeting, Secretary of State for Defence, said that he wants Brits to be ‘alert but not alarmed’ by the launch of this campaign.
The checklist encourages Brits to stock up on 3 day’s worth of non-perishable food and water, have a decent supply of hygiene, first aid, and medical products, and have the likes of blankets, torches, batteries, and warm clothing to hand. The checklist also includes battery-operated communication devices, charged power banks, money, IDs, and important phone numbers. If you have pets or babies, there are additional items that you’re advised to stock up on, too.
The government is advising citizens to gradually build their supply over the coming months, grabbing a few of the checklist items each time you do a shop to spread the cost. By no means does this advice mean that you need to hotfoot it to your local supermarket and panic buy everything in sight.
Dan Jarvis MP, Security Minister, said: “Those who can follow this advice. By taking simple steps to be ready for everyday emergencies like severe storms, people can reduce pressure on emergency services, helping them prioritise people who need more support in an emergency.
“This is just the sort of community-focused campaign the UK needs to improve our resilience as a nation. It will bring us into line with European counterparts, where advice like this is a normal part of everyday life.”
You can find out more about the government’s ‘Be Ready’ campaign and checklist here.
