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Protecting your Community

What is community resilience?

"Communities and individuals harnessing local resources and expertise to help themselves in an emergency, in a way that complements the response of the emergency services."

Civil Protection Lexicon (2010) www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/cplexicon

Community Resilience is about knowing who your community are and being able to help and support each other in  a common crisis.

Throughout history mankind has overcome adversity by acting together whatever the threat. Even during quite innocuous events such as a power cuts or storms, looking out for each other makes good sense. It strengthens the bonds and links between your community and has positive spin offs.

Community resilience is relevant today. Recently many local post offices, shops and public houses have closed in rural areas. This has cut the number of links between people. Increasingly we use the internet to access information, goods and services. However, we should always be prepared to fall back on our traditional support networks.

Examples of Community Resilience are:

• Knowing who your neighbours are and sharing contact details
  
  
• Knowing whether you have any vulnerable neighbours and checking up on them
  
  
• Knowing whether any of your neighbours have special skills/professions which might be useful if your community were isolated (eg nurses, doctors, tree surgeons)
  
  
• Knowing whether any of your neighbours have equipment to use if your community were isolated (eg generators, 4x4 vehicles, emergency lighting, spare beds)

There are times when communities could find themselves isolated. Severe weather springs to mind. Floods across the country have demonstrated the need for communities to manage until outside help arrives. At particular risk are the elderly and vulnerable. Communities must be prepared to aid those less capable of aiding themselves.

The City of London Corporation will try to look after the community, ensuring that the population receive the best care possible. However, resources are finite and we should ensure they reach those in most need, and that they are employed to maximum effect. This requires the assistance of the community.

Community emergency planning is a vital element of Community Preparedness.