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Home chevron_right Crime and safety chevron_right Preparing yourself for an emergency

Preparing yourself for an emergency

There are a number of steps you can take to ensure that you protect yourself and others in an emergency:

  • keep all important telephone numbers with you including those of family and friends
  • ensure you and your family all have the phone number of a friend or relative who lives outside Middlesbrough
  • make family plans for local emergencies and ensure your children know what to do; consider practicing the plans
  • if you live near an industrial site you will be advised about any special emergency arrangements that have been put in place - ensure your family understand what to do.

In an emergency

In the event of an emergency you should initially, if it's safe to do so, follow the advice to:

Go in
Go indoors and close all doors and windows

Stay in
Stay inside until you hear it's safe to leave

Tune in
Listen to local radio or TV for regular updates and further instructions.

You may also be able to get information and advice via Cleveland Police (@ClevelandPolice), Cleveland Fire Brigade (@ClevelandFB), and Middlesbrough Council (@MbroCouncil) on Twitter, but you should always pay most attention to local radio and TV.

Importantly, consider any neighbours who may have trouble hearing, reading or understanding information that is given out. Help them if you can.

Would you consider helping out in an emergency? If so, have a look at the Community Reserve Volunteers programme run by the British Red Cross.

An emergency kit is useful for all sorts of situations, serious or not. It should contain:

  • a radio
  • a torch
  • sufficient spare batteries
  • a first aid kit - consider first aid training as it can be invaluable even for every day situations
  • any medication you or your family cannot do without
  • bottled water
  • food for at least three days
  • a tin opener

For further information about preparing for emergencies please visit the Red Cross website.

Emergency phone numbers

Details of numbers and associations to contact in an emergency.

Adverse weather

Adverse weather is taken to mean all types of weather outside of what can generally be expected on a day to day basis.

Chemical industry

Details of how we warn, inform, and protect the public before, during and after any potential chemical incident.

Cleveland Emergency Planning Unit

Providing an emergency planning service to the four unitary authorities.

Emergency planning in Middlesbrough

Details of how the town is prepared for emergency situations.

Flood risk management

All flood risk management organisations have a duty to co-operate and work in partnership on flood risk management.

Flooding advice

Advice on planning for flooding before it happens, what to do during a flood, and recovering and cleaning up after a flood.