Emergency Planning

What to do during an Emergency

As a general and easy to remember piece of advice, when an emergency occurs;

Go In, Stay In, Tune In

When you get indoors, keep windows and doors shut.

At Work

If you are at work when an emergency occurs, you must follow the emergency procedures set out by your employer. When you can safely do so, you will want to contact members of your family, as part of your Family Emergency Contact Plan to let them know that you are safe.

At School

If an emergency occurs while you are at school, follow the instructions of your teachers. When it is safe to do so, arrangements will be made to get you to your home.

Click here for School Contact Details.

At Home

If you are at home when an emergency occurs, it is most likely that you will stay there until either the emergency is resolved, or you receive instructions about what to do from the authorities.

Things to do

• Carry out your Family Emergency Contact Plan if you are not all at home.
• Locate your Family Emergency Supplies.
• Carry out your Family Emergency Plan for the emergency.
• Stay calm.
• Stay indoors.
• Keep pets inside.
• Tune in to BBC Radio Shetland (92.7 FM) or SIBC (96.2 FM) for regular information bulletins.
• Check on the well-being of any elderly or vulnerable neighbours.

If you lose your electricity supply

• When needed, use candles safely, to avoid the risk of creating a fire.
• Remember when using a camping cooker, that it should be placed on a non-combustible surface and that there should be adequate ventilation.
• Minimise the opening of fridge and freezer doors during a power cut.

If you lose your water supply

• Minimise toilet flushing if you lose your water supply. Use rain water if you have a water butt or alternatively use washing up water.
• Personal hygiene – if you lose water supply, keep washing to a minimum. Use hygiene wipes if possible.
• You should not drink water from a storage tank.
• Do not use water from your heating system header tank.
• Fill up empty soft drink bottles when water is available, if you are sure that it is not contaminated.

If you lose your sanitation

• Make arrangements to use a neighbours toilet, if it is safe to do so and their sanitation is not also affected.
• Make arrangements to move to a relative or friends house, if it is safe to do so.
• If it is unsafe to leave your home, you must make hygienic arrangements to dispose of your waste. This could involve the use of a plastic bucket with a tight fitting lid and disinfectant or as a last resort, the use of plastic bags with ties.

If you lose communications

• Make sure that you regularly tune in to BBC Radio Shetland (92.7 FM) or SIBC (96.2 FM) for regular information bulletins

If you have to evacuate your home

• Generally it is safer to stay inside your home during an emergency. However, in extreme circumstances, you may need to evacuate your home or be requested to do so by the authorities. If you do leave, put into effect the evacuation part of your Family Emergency Plan.
• Know where you are all going to go and how you are going to get there – you may have been instructed by the authorities to meet somewhere.
• Wear clothing appropriate for the conditions.
• Take your emergency pack with you.
• Take your pets with you if you can or make arrangements for them.
• Decide whether to shut off the utilities.
• Lock up behind you.