EMERGENCY Management

September 2013

Helping You To Help Yourselves

Communities and individuals canprepare for flooding by following somesimple steps, to reduce the impact offlooding on homes or businesses.

Sign up for free flood warnings - Youcan sign up for Floodline WarningsDirect. This is a free service thatprovides automated flood warnings bytelephone, mobile, email, SMS textmessage or fax. You can sign up forFloodline Warnings Direct online at:https://fwd.environment-agency.gov.uk/app/olr/registerYou can also register by callingFloodline on 0845 988 1188 or Typetalk0845 602 6340.

Prepare a flood plan - You can act nowby planning what you would do in aflood. Completing a flood plan will helpyou decide what practical actions totake before and during a flood, whichwill help reduce the damage floodingcould cause. You could prepare apersonal flood plan for your property.You could also develop a communityflood plan, to help communitymembers and groups plan how theycan work together to respond quicklywhen flooding happens. Visit theEnvironment Agency’s website todownload a template for your personalor community flood plan

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/38329.aspx

Prepare a flood kit - One simple thingyou can do to prepare before a flood isto create a kit of essential items andkeep it to hand.

• Important documents - such aspassport and insurance certificates.

Some documents are expensive toreplace. Having these in your kit willkeep them safe and to hand.• Torch - in case it floods at night andyour power is affected.• Radio -a wind-up or battery radiowillhelp you monitor local news andweather reports for the latestflooding situation.• Batteries - have spare batteriesavailable to power your torch orradio.

Blankets or warm clothing - itmaybecold and you could be withoutpower for some time.• First aid kit - keep a first aid kit tohand in case of minor injuries. Put anyprescription medication in your kit sothat you have easy access to it.• Bottled water - flood water cancontain sewage, chemicals andanimal waste. Drinking bottle waterwill keep you hydrated and makesure your water hasn't beencontaminated by the flood water.• Tinned food - you don't know howlong the flood will last. Have tinnedand non-perishable food availablefor you to eat.• Personal items - some items areirreplaceable. Put items of personalvalue such as photos, family videos

or treasured mementos in yourflood kit so that they are safe.• Mobile phone - keep a fully chargedmobile with you so that you cancontact people in an emergency orcall for help. If your phone hasInternet access you can use it tocheck on the latest flood situation.• Waterproof clothing - keep welliesand rubber gloves available shouldyou need to enter the flood water.In a flood, you won't have time to findthese essential items so it's important toprepare in advance.

Install flood protection equipment -Flood protection products can helpstop flood water getting into yourproperty. You can get more informationabout flood protection equipment inthe Environment Agency’s leaflet'Prepare your property for flooding'which is available online. Anindependent directory of flood productmanufacturers is also available on theNational Flood Forum’s Blue Pagesdirectory. (see useful informationsection).

Help us raise awareness of flood risk inyour community - Download and useposters to encourage people in yourcommunity or area to prepare forflooding.

Not everyone in your community orarea will know or accept that they areat risk of flooding. Help us spread theword about what people can do toprepare for flooding. Posters can bedownloaded and printed from theEnvironment Agency’s website:

http://www.environmentagency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/143419.aspx

Newsletter of the County Emergency Planning Service

Flood Risk

Page 1

Newsletter of the County Emergency Planning Service

November the 5th is now rapidlyapproaching; sadly every year there aremany serious accidents involvingfireworks.

Young people should watch and enjoyfireworks at a safe distance and followthe safety rules for using sparklers. Onlyadults should deal with firework displaysand the lighting of fireworks. Theyshould also take care of the safedisposal of fireworks once they havebeen used. The following FireworkCode aims to provide some basicsafety rules:

1. Plan your firework display tomake it safe and enjoyable.

2. Keep fireworks in a closed boxand use them one at a time.

3. Read and follow the instructionson each firework using a torch ifnecessary.

4. Light the firework at arm's length

with a taper and stand well back.

5. Keep naked flames, includingcigarettes, away from fireworks.

6. Never return to a firework once ithas been lit.

7. Don't put fireworks in pockets andnever throw them.

8. Direct any rocket fireworks wellaway from spectators.

9. Never use paraffin or petrol on abonfire.

10. Make sure that the fire is out andsurroundings are made safe beforeleaving.

Protect Your Animals

Although fireworks are fun for us, theyare not fun for animals. Most animalsget very scared by the lights and noise,so you should take precautions toprotect your pets during the times ofthe year when fireworks are likely to be

set off.

The animal charity Blue Cross says thatthe best thing you can do is to keepyour pets indoors. This includes bringingin pets that are normally kept outside,such as rabbits or guinea pigs.

Close all of your windows and doorsand try to drown out the noise as muchas possible. And make sure that catsand dogs have name tags on them incase the noise scares them and theyrun off.

Blue Cross has a leaflet with moredetailed advice on keeping your petssafe from fireworks.

More information on firework safety andplanning and setting up displays can befound on the Royal Society for thePrevention of Accidents' (RoSPA)website.

http://www.saferfireworks.com/

Page 2

As we approach the Autumn, it isimportant that we all work together toprotect ourselves and others fromseasonal flu by getting ourselvesvaccinated and encouraging others toget vaccinated, especially those mostat risk.

Flu (short for influenza) is an infectiousviral illness normally spread by coughsand sneezes. It is more commonlyspread in the Autumn and Wintermonths which is why it is referred to asseasonal flu.

Symptoms are typically a sudden hightemperature, headache, aches andpains, tiredness and sore throat. Feelingsick, tiredness and loss of appetite arealso common. Most people feel muchbetter after a week from the onset ofsymptoms.

People over 65 years of age, pregnantwomen and those with an underlyinghealth condition are more at risk ofmore serious complications from flu.

A flu vaccine is available free on theNHS for:

• pregnant women

• children aged betweentwo and three years

• all children over six monthsand adults with a seriousunderlying health problem

• all adults aged 65 or older

• all people living in a long-stay residential or nursing home

If you think you need it, talk to your GPor practice nurse.

In addition, it is very important that allhealth and social care staff who are indirect contact with patients or theirclients get vaccinated. Employers ofhealth and social care staff shouldhave arrangements in place to providethe vaccination free of charge.Occupational health teams will be ableto advise.

Everybody has a part to play inreminding friends, neighbours andrelatives who are eligible for the fluvaccine to take up the offer if invitedby their GP practice.

Additional information is available onthe NHS Choices website:

http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Flu/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Seasonal FluProtect yourself and others

nnnSafer FireworksFirework Top Ten Safety Code for Adults

Newsletter of the County Emergency Planning Service

Theft of heating and diesel oilhas been a problem for many yearsand we see an increase in this type ofcrime whenever the price of crude oilrises. A rise in the price of fuel at thepetrol pump inevitably leads to a rise inthe cost of heating oil. This makes oil amore attractive proposition for the thiefwho are actively targeting fuel tanks atfarms, transport depots and domesticproperties. The thief may be using theoil for their own central heating orselling it on at a handsome profit.

These tanks can contain thousands ofpounds worth of oil and it thereforemakes good sense to take a fewprecautions to protect them. Thepurpose of this article is to give thereader a few ideas about what can bedone to make life more difficult for thethief.

OFTEC (the Oil Firing TechnicalAssociation for the petroleum industry)offers advice and guidance for thosewho use and store oil at their premises.There are certain rules and regulationsthat may apply to you and OFTEC willhelp clarify these for you.

They can be reached atwww.oftec.org or by calling 0845 6585080. They also produce 'An easy guideto domestic oil storage' which is a verystraightforward and useful document.

Siting your oil tank

The position of the tank can have asignificant effect on how hard a targetit is in the eyes of the thief. If the tank isclose to the house, with one or morewindows capable of giving a view of it,then the thief may consider thechances of being seen too high. If thetank is close to a road, path, drive oralleyway then it will be a far easiertarget. Hiding the tank behind thegarage, shed or some other type ofoutbuilding is fairly commonplace, butit does give the thief the advantage.

Not many oil tanks are works of art sowho wants a tank in full view? While itmay not be desirable, or legal, to havethe tank close to the house some sort ofcompromise location would besensible. Of course this will not only be amajor consideration when a new tank isto be installed but may be necessary ifthe tank has been targeted before.They do need to be within areasonable distance of the roadotherwise the oil supply company may

not be able to refill it for you

Control switches

Control switches that control the flow ofoil should be turned off and theelectricity supply isolated when thetank is not in use.

Padlocks

A thief will usually come equipped witha limited range of tools to attack yourtank so it's worth spending a little moreon good quality locks. Close shacklepadlocks are the best as they offermost resistance to the most popular ofburglar tools; the bolt cropper! Due totheir design, close shackle padlockshave very little of the metal hoop(shackle) exposed and bolt cropperscannot get a good grip. Rememberthat buying a padlock is like buying acar, the more you pay the better thequality and the longer it will last.

Oil level gauges

Remote electronic oil level gauges arenow available which will set off anaudible alarm if the oil level in the tanksuddenly drops or falls below a quarterfull. These gauges can be located inthe kitchen, or perhaps a utility room towarn of any potential problem. Thereare two or three different versions onthe market at the moment and costbetween £70 and £100.

Security lights

Security lights can have a very positiveeffect and make any property a muchharder target for the thief. It's notalways necessary to floodlight the areawith high power beams, as a moresubtle level of lighting may be all that isneeded. Low energy 'dusk 'til dawn'lights positioned close to the tankshould, in most cases, provide sufficientlight to illuminate any suspiciousactivity. This type of light can be botheffective and inexpensive. Highpowered lights can be used but careshould be taken not to cause anynuisance to neighbours or road users.

Defensive planting

Defensive planting is nature's way ofhelping to reduce crime. Thieves willnot wish to force their way through orover a prickly hedge. The smallest traceof blood or shred of ripped clothingcould help the Police identify theoffender. These shrubs can, if plantedaround your tank, provide an effective

and decorative thief proof barrier.

Securing your oil tank

Following on from the defensiveplanting tactic, fences and walls canalso make life difficult for the thief. Awooden or metal fence, trellis or wallcan give significant protection to thetank but it must be remembered thatthe oil tanker driver will need access tofill the tank. A metal grill or cage with alockable access point across the top ofthis wall or fence can further improvesecurity. The wall or fence should be asclose to the tank and as high aspossible.

Devives are available which surroundthe existing storage tank with a metalenclosure. This sheet metal enclosurehas lockable access doors to allowfilling and maintenance and hasinternal anchorage points to fix it to theconcrete base. A tank guard costs lessthan one tank full of oil and will last formany years.

Closed circuit television

The use of CCTV as a crime preventionand detection tool has grown massivelyin recent years. It could play a part inthe protection of oil tanks but beforeyou spend lots of money on equipmentmake an assessment of your needs.

Ask yourself:

1. What do I hope to achieve by usingCCTV?

2. How much am I prepared to spend?

3. Is there a reasonable level of lightwhere the cameras will be operating ordo I need to think about using cameraswith low light capability? (Most theftstake place at night).

4. What am I going to record thecaptured images on? Digital recordingis best.

5. How am I going to provide the Policewith any evidence I may capture?

Page 3

Heating and Diesel Oil Theft

For assistance with communityEmergency Planning your first point ofcontact is your City, District or BoroughEmergency Planning Officer.

You will find them listed below forreference and remember they are allthere to help you!

Don't forget, the Devon CountyCouncil website has lots of usefulinformation for both individuals andcommunities:

! www.devon.gov.uk

! Safety and Emergencies

! Emergencies

! Emergency Planning -Community (Parish) Planning

Editor - Dom Maxwell-Batten dom.maxwell-batten@devon.gov.uk

Mid Devon East Devon North Devon Teignbridge South Hams/West Devon Torridge Exeter

Amanda Palmer01271 388760amanda.palmer@northdevon.gov.uk

Ian Flood-Page01626 215835iflood@

teignbridge.gov.uk

Peter Dale01803 861278peter.dale@

southhams.gov.uk

Jude Hardiman01392 382689judith.hardiman@

devon.gov.uk

Ruth Staddon01237 428806ruth.staddon@torridge.gov.uk

Pam Harvey01395 516551pharvey@

eastdevon.gov.uk

Paul Williams01884 244601pnwilliams@

middevon.gov.uk

First point ofContact

Useful Information:

Page 4

Environment Agency www.environment-agency.gov.uk

Consumer Council for Water www.ccwater.org.uk

National Flood Forum www.floodforum.org.uk

Blue Pages Directory www.bluepages.org.uk

Association of British Insurers www.abi.org.uk or 020 7600 3333

British Insurance Brokers Association www.biba.org.uk or 0870 950 1790

Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors www.rics.org/flooding

Know Your Flood Risk campaign www.knowyourfloodridsk.co.uk

Floodline 0845 988 1188

Driving conditions in Britain duringthe winter months can be both difficultand hazardous. Yet with a little care,consideration and prior planning, it ispossible to minimise the risk andmaximise the safety aspects for you,your passengers and other road users.

Prepare your vehicle before winter setsin:

• Have your vehicle serviced.

• Check your lights and brakes are ingood working order.

• Check the condition of your tyres;

particularly the tread and pressures.

• Check your anti-freeze levels andhave it topped up where necessary.

• Make sure your battery is fullycharged and in good condition.

• Make sure your lights are clean andyour windscreen and windows areclear.

• Make sure your wipers are in goodorder and work well.

• Top-up your screen washer levels.

Winter is coming ...