Cromer-based North Norfolk District Council is encouraging people to consider forming local emergency teams to provide leadership and support for their local community in any future emergencies. Residents from Trimingham, Potter Heigham and Walcott have signed up and the council hopes to hear from other communities who want to be better prepared.
Any member of the community can volunteer to act as a Community Emergency Coordinator. The role involves putting together what officials call a simple resilience plan by gathering information which may be useful to a community in the event of an emergency. The plan might include a map, lists of vulnerable people, a coordination or meeting point, a note of those with specialist skills or equipment (eg. doctor, builder, owners of 4×4 vehicles) and any notable risks within the community.
The council provide a free emergency pack to communities that create their own their community resilience plan. The pack incudes wind-up radio, torches, high visibility vests. An enhanced pack is offered to communities when they have undertaken an exercise with the support of the council’s Civil Contingencies team.
The council says that it’s happy to arrange meetings and workshops where residents interested in community resilience can network with other teams and gain help to create their own plans. Funding for those interested in setting up a community resilience group may be available through the North Norfolk Big Society Fund.
Visit http://www.northnorfolk.org.
