Preparing Nottingham for the unexpected

Last week’s floods have brought into sharp focus the need to be ready for the unexpected – and a series of events next week aim to do just that.

Nottinghamshire Prepared Week – the first special week of its kind – will help to prepare the public for emergencies such as floods, underwater rescues, terrorist threats and bird flu outbreaks and tell them about the plans that are in place to respond to such crises.

Nottinghamshire Prepared Week has been organised by the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Local Resilience Forum, a strategic multi-agency group that would direct the overall response to any major emergency in Nottinghamshire. Members include the emergency services, local authorities, and the NHS. It aims to help people be better prepared themselves and to reassure them that a range of agencies are geared up to respond to crisis situations.

A series of events are planned between July 2 and 9 to highlight the work that’s underway to get ready for emergency situations. This includes:

• A launch event at the Council House and Old Market Square
• A demonstration of search and rescue and bomb disposal capabilities
• Safety advice sessions in schools
• Roadshows
• A simulated victim recovery exercise
• A demonstration of water rescue capabilities
• Advice, debates and training on counter-terrorism awareness, emergencies threatening public health and how businesses can prepare for emergencies.

Assistant Chief Constable for Nottinghamshire Police Sue Fish (Chair of the LRF) said: “It’s important to make clear that Nottingham and Nottinghamshire is a safe place to live and work, but like all areas, it’s at risk from natural hazards and accidental or malicious acts. We want people to know that these risks are fully assessed and plans are prepared to mitigate against them.

“What we hope to do with our first Nottinghamshire Prepared Week is to make people better informed about how we plan for emergencies, how we would respond and what they can do themselves.”

Since its formation in 2005, the Local Resilience Forum has had considerable success in increasing the preparedness and response to major emergencies in the city and county. Nottinghamshire Prepared Week will be providing training and advice to school children, businesses, statutory emergency responders and the general public so that the city and county can be ready for anything.

For more information, visit www.nottsprepared.gov.uk