Emergencies can strike at any time, so be prepared

Scottish Government Viewpoint

WE think 'it' will never happen to us, but emergencies strike at any time and disrupt our lives in an instant.

Threats can range from human errors such as road traffic collisions to acts of nature such as flooding or ice and snow.

They could also affect the services we rely on such as transport, utilities, communications and financial services.

That's why resilience is so important. Being prepared and having the knowledge and tools to keep us safe during uncertain times is half the battle.

Ready Scotland, which encourages people to be aware of the importance of preparing for and dealing with emergencies, will launch an inaugural Resilience Week from November 7-11.

It's an opportunity to show support to the work, processes and people in place to make Scotland's communities, businesses and homes more resilient to the situations that disrupt daily lives.

This includes what to do in the event of severe weather; how to handle someone becoming seriously ill; businesses thinking about how to deal with events that affect smooth operations, and how to reduce the risk of cyber crime.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: "Scotland has excellent emergency services, but what we do as individuals and collectively can also make a big difference.

"While it is not possible to avoid every risk, there are sensible steps we can all take to make life easier for ourselves and others.

"Plan ahead, check weather forecasts before travelling, sign up for flood alerts and check on your neighbours – particularly the elderly and vulnerable at this time of year, and stay safe online."

Take the weather for example, we know how unpredictable it can be in Scotland but we can never be fully prepared for it.

According to SEPA, 108,000 properties in Scotland are at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea or heavy rainfall in urban areas.

You can take simple steps to protect yourself from something like a flood.

Make sure your contents and buildings insurance are up to date and make an emergency kit which includes a list of useful numbers, a spare mobile phone and charger and waterproof clothing.

You can also think about how you can help others who might be more at risk from severe weather.

On the subject of our personal health resilience, we can all take simple actions such as keeping up to date on immunisations or making sure we have a first aid kit in the home.

If you are eligible, getting a flu jab is recommended.

Almost a third of people hospitalised with flu last winter had a heart condition, with the figure rising to half of those aged 45 or over.

Health emergencies can be the most stressful to deal with. Every year, more than 3500 people in Scotland are treated by the ambulance service after having a cardiac arrest – but only one in 20 will survive.

These statistics led to a national campaign – Save a Life for Scotland – being set up help 500,000 people learn CPR by 2020 to improve cardiac arrest survival rates by up to seven times.

When we think of resilience we might not consider cyber crime, yet Get Safe Online says people in Scotland are still not taking the basic steps to keep themselves safe, with as many as 42 per cent of us using the same password for different accounts.

So whatever you do, be ready and be resilient.

* To find out more go to www.readyscotland.org