All homes to receive emergency booklet
All UK homes are to receive a booklet on preparing for emergencies, including terror attacks, within three weeks.
The booklet, “Preparing for Emergencies” is the result of a joint endeavour between the Government, emergency services, MI5 and the Chief Medical Officer. It contains advice on what to do and how to prepare for an emergency, basic first aid, and prevention of terrorist attacks.
The Government though insists that it has received no specific warning of a terrorist attack on the UK and this booklet is in response to an “increasing wish” from the public for more advice and information.
From 2nd August the booklet will also be available in 16 languages, with the key message: “Please read the booklet, keep it somewhere handy and then get on with your everyday life.”
Home Secretary David Blunkett said: “Public safety and security is the number one concern for Government. The practical advice in this booklet will allow people to make sensible preparations that will help them in a range of emergencies, such as fires, as well as terrorist incidents.
“The Government is working hard to ensure that we are as safe as we can be from people who would cause us harm. Public vigilance and co-operation can make a vital contribution and people should remain alert but not alarmed. Following the advice in this booklet will ensure we are better able to cope with any emergency.
Douglas Alexander, Minister for the Cabinet Office, said: “This booklet promotes clearer understanding of what to do in an emergency, bringing together advice in one practical guide that you can keep to hand at home. With this, people across the UK will be able to play their part in preventing emergencies and help deal with them. Much of the content is common sense, but it has saved lives in the past.
He sought to emphasise that the booklet is not in response to an expected incident, saying, “if a warning is necessary to protect public safety in the face of a specific and credible threat, we will issue one without hesitation along with information that will help the public respond effectively.”
The leaflets will be accompanied by television and radio advertising, beginning at 19:45 BST on ITV tonight.
Speaking at the press conference to launch the campaign, Home Office Minister Caroline Flint emphasised that the booklet is not just intended to prepare people for terrorist action, but is also relevant to other disasters such as fire and flooding.
In the event of an emergency people are advised to remain indoors and listen to up-to-date instructions from the emergency services, which will be broadcast on most radio frequencies.
At £8.3 million, Ms Flint said that the cost of the campaign is less than the cost of delivering a newspaper to everyone in the UK.
Although there is plenty of advice on how to react to a terrorist incident, including banging on pipes to alert rescuers in the event of being trapped inside a building, much of the booklet focuses on basic precautions. These include the fitting of fire alarms and basic first aid advice.
The president of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), Chris Fox, said: “We fully support this campaign, which brings together a great deal of existing good advice in a common sense format.”
“The campaign complements a great deal of work the police service is currently undertaking, in liaison with central and local government, the security and intelligence agencies, and the other emergency services, to ensure emergency awareness and prevention remain key factors in everything we do.
“On terrorism in particular, we are clear that the threat remains real and high, but this campaign underlines the importance for all of us of remaining aware and vigilant, without becoming alarmed.”
