In your Community

When a disaster happens you could be on your own for three days or more. You will need to rely on yourself and the people around you to get through. There may be people in your neighbourhood or community who are vulnerable, injured, or who have lost their homes. These people will need extra support from you.

There are some simple steps you can take before an emergency to make sure your community will get through:

• Get to know your neighbours
• Share your “in case of an emergency” contact details with your neighbours, so they know how to contact you if an emergency happens
• Ask your neighbours about their emergency plans and tell them about yours

Community Emergency Planning

Developing a community emergency plan is the best way to make sure that you and your community will get through an emergency.

A community plan can include;

• A description of the community and the hazards faced by the community
• A description of what the community will do in an emergency
• Identify where the community will meet in an emergency, and how to evacuate, if necessary
• A description of how the community will liaise with Civil defence and other emergency services

If you are interested in developing a plan for your community, contact the civil defence officer your local council and they will be able to assist you.

Volunteering

Some councils in Canterbury have formal Civil Defence Emergency Management volunteers. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer then contact the civil defence officer in your local council.