Residents of Etchingham are being asked to offer their services for the emergency plan update – to be in place in case of disaster.
Come wind, snow, rain or fire – or even the surprise crash landing of a jumbo jet – the village has to be prepared – just in case.
The village’s emergency plan is in the process of being developed with the aim of securing villagers’ safety.
So, if you can offer tractors, four-by-four vehicles, or you are handy with a chain saw, the parish council wants to hear from you.
The council wants doctors, nurses, vets and anybody with medical skills to get in touch and add themselves to the list of emergency contacts.
Cllr Colin Boylett said the plan was merely there to provide a safety net for the village and hopes it never has to be put into action.
“We hope we never have to use the emergency plan, but it’s better to have a plan in case. Extreme weather could cut the village off, so with the plan we would be able to provide the elderly and vulnerable with food and heating.”
Although Cllr Boylett is being realistic about how regularly the plan would be put into action, he said he was aware emergency situations could arise from anywhere.
“Anywhere can have a plane coming down or something like that. We have a railway line going right through the village and so there could be a serious train crash, or even a repeat of the serious storms of 1987, you just never know what’s going to happen.”
Cllr Boylett is one of three parish councillors and one member of the community who will put the emergency plan together.
The plan would be in place so the village, in the event of an emergency, could effectively link with district and county councils and the police.
Rother District Council emergency planning officer Charlie Sharrod said: “Rother District Council gives active support to all towns and parishes to develop their plans thus ensuring a measured and proportionate response can be made, if required, by any community whilst awaiting assistance from the Emergency Services and Local Authority.”
Cllr Boylett is asking people to get in contact with details of any useful resources.
Telephone him on 01580 819532 or e-mail colin.boylett@gmail. com
[Via Thisissussex.co.uk & The Prepper Web]
Good post, good idea. I hope they get some good response . It would be good to see in this day and age a community that can pull together. Once organised it could be a useful tool if TSHTF in a big way.