Preparing for an emergency

Risks you should plan for

Guidance to help people, businesses and communities to identify and prepare for the hazards and threats that may disrupt their lives is available on gov.uk.

Contacting family and friends

A sudden emergency may mean you need to contact relatives, health services, emergency services and repair services quickly.

• keep important telephone numbers handy in one location
• elderly, disabled or ill people should ensure they have the contact numbers of neighbours, health or social workers and / or other helpers to hand
• only make calls which are absolutely necessary, as the telephone system could become overloaded in a major emergency
  

In an emergency

If you discover, or are experiencing, an emergency situation dial 999.

Reporting an emergency

How you should respond

There is a small chance that you'll be caught up in an emergency, but you should be well prepared.

Seek shelter immediately

In most emergency situations, you'll need to take shelter immediately, or move away from the hazard. If you can't, you should:

• go indoors and stay there
• close all doors and windows, close curtains and move into a room facing away from the hazard
• turn off ventilation systems 
• don't smoke or light matches or other naked flames
• offer shelter to passers-by if it's safe to do so

Stay informed

Once you're indoors, stay there and wait for more information:

• keep phone lines clear - don't call emergency services (unless a separate emergency is affecting you, or you're being seriously affected by the incident)
• tune in to local radio stations for information
• listen carefully to advice given by emergency services, and follow it
• don't attempt to collect children from school until you've been advised to
• don't go outside
• don't use a vehicle

Emergency evacuation

Evacuation will only happen in extreme circumstances. If the situation should arise, remember that if the Police ask you to leave your home you should follow their advice. They will be concerned for your safety, andsafety and are likely to know the dangers and risks better than you. 

If you have elderly, disabled or vulnerable neighbours, tell the emergency services that they might need help. They'll make special arrangements for people with additional needs.

The Police will normally ask you to go to a Reception Centre or a similar place. If you decide to go somewhere else, make sure you let the Police know, so that you can be accounted for. 

Always follow the direct instructions of the emergency services in the event of any emergency.

Before you leave your home

If it's safe to do so, make sure fires are out, and switch off water, gas and electricity if requested to do so. Ensure that your home is locked.

If there is time and it's safe to do so, collect together:

• ​copies of insurance and other important documents. for example personal identification
• keys for your home and vehicle
• valuables and sentimental items
• money and credit and debit cards
• mobile phone and charger
• wind up or battery powered torch and radio which will provide light and information
• warm, waterproof clothing and blankets
• any medication you are taking
• glasses or contact lenses
• any special food you need 
• baby food and care items
• toiletries
• spare clothes
• child's special toy
• items for pets
• notepad and pen or pencil
• ​list of useful contact numbers if not already stored on your phone

What to do with pets

If you are evacuated from your home, it's likely you'll want to take your pet along with you. Unfortunately, not all emergency centres are able to cater for pets, so it's essential that you include the care of pets in your planning too. Every effort will be made to ensure that your pets are cared for, but they may not be able to stay with you.

Find out more about what to do with pets in emergencies on the Centre for Disease, Control and Prevention website and the RSPCA website. For local information or advice on your pets in an emergency, please contact the Jersey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on 01534 724331.

Local media channels: where to get information during an emergency

If an emergency is happening, you should check media for up to date information.

Twitter

The States of Jersey (including the police and fire and rescue services) will provide real-time information through Twitter.

Government of Jersey on Twitter
States of Jersey Police on Twitter
Jersey Fire and Rescue on Twitter
About Twitter, and how to follow the States

Jersey media

Tune into any of the following, which are expected to give information in an emergency:

BBC Jersey website
Channel Televisi​on website
Channel 103FM website
Jersey Eve​ning ​Post​ website

Community Risk Register

Planning for emergencies is carried out by the Jersey Resilience Forum and is coordinated by the Emergency Planning Officer.

Jersey works closely with other Channel Island and UK risk planners to anticipate the likely risks that we may face, and then we assess these risks and use them to develop the Community Risk Register.

This allows responders:

• to put measures in place to prevent risks from happening if possible
• plan to minimise their impact if they do happen
• prepare for how we would respond to them
• planto recover from them, so that the community can return to normal as soon as possible

The Emergency Powers and Planning (Jersey) Law 1990 is the main legislation relating to planning for and responding to emergencies in Jersey.

Other Laws aim to make Jersey as safe as possible:

• Fire and Rescue Service (Jersey) Law 2011
  
• Health and Safety at Work (Jersey) Law 1989)
  

More advice and information

Emergency response and recovery on UK government website
Emergency preparedness guidance documents on UK government website