Preparing for Emergencies and Catastrophes

StarryEyed
StarryEyed Online Community Member Posts: 198 Empowering
in Announcements and information

World Mental Health Day this year was on October 10, as we were reminded on this forum by @Holly_Scope. The focus this year is:

"The purpose of World Mental Health Day is to improve knowledge, raise awareness and mobilise efforts in support of mental health around the world. This year's theme – 'Mental health in humanitarian emergencies' – highlights the challenges of providing mental healthcare during large-scale emergencies."

I experienced two large-scale emergencies this year - countrywide flooding and a countrywide blackout. I totally fell apart. So I started my emergency preparedness a few months ago, but ironically I was too scared thinking about an emergency so I couldn't do it. With the encouragement of @Holly_Scope , @ChristineC1 and others in that thread talking about World Mental Health Day, I started preparing and hope we can work together in setting up emergency plans. Like most people around the world, I can barely manage my days as it is, let alone plan for an emergency event, so it's really challenging to set aside time and energy for this. But with the little I've done already, I have come to see it as an investment of time and energy to decrease stress now and in the future because with every step I take in setting up my plan, I feel less anxious right now and know that I will feel less anxious in the future.

The best place I found for how to prepare for emergencies is with the British Red Cross. Here is their website re this as well as screenshots of what you will find on that link:

https://www.redcross.org.uk/get-help/prepare-for-emergencies/prepare-an-emergency-kit

Screenshot_20251029_203747_Chrome.jpg

Screenshot_20251029_203757_Chrome.jpg
https://www.redcross.org.uk/get-help/prepare-for-emergencies/prepare-an-emergency-kit

There are some things on here you might want to do, and others not. Or maybe you don't want to do any at all, or maybe you just want to read along and see if there are things that come up later on in the thread that you might want to do in the future.

I'll start with that and post soon about about what I'm doing as I go along preparing for emergencies - knowing full well that we can't prepare for all emergencies. Maybe others want to join in and share their experiences and thoughts too?

Bye for now.

Comments

  • Kimi87
    Kimi87 Online Community Member Posts: 7,444 Championing

    I live alone and have a key safe, for emergencies when I can call for help but can't get to the door.

    Recently I realised there might be occasions where I couldn't call for help but entry was still needed. Or I wasn't home and didn't know about a fire or flood etc.

    I duly researched and my local ambulance offers a service where I lodge the code with them.

    It places a flag on my address which the other emergency services can access.

  • StarryEyed
    StarryEyed Online Community Member Posts: 198 Empowering

    The link didn't show up for the Red Cross. Here it is…

    https://www.redcross.org.uk/get-help/prepare-for-emergencies/prepare-an-emergency-kit
  • StarryEyed
    StarryEyed Online Community Member Posts: 198 Empowering

    @Kimi87 I imagine that is such a relief for you! Do you find it helps decrease your anxiety in present day knowing that you have this put safetynet in place? I imagine it would, but don't presume so.

  • Kimi87
    Kimi87 Online Community Member Posts: 7,444 Championing

    It does make me feel a lot better, yes 🙂

    Living alone and being single is tough, especially when unwell so anything that eases that is welcome.

  • StarryEyed
    StarryEyed Online Community Member Posts: 198 Empowering

    I live alone too. And I'm really vulnerable with all my illnesses, especially now that I'm limited in mobility. So it's really a must. I'm framing this work as being helpful to others by minimising the work they have to do. By doing it to help someone else it helps me do this, rather just doing it for myself. Does that make sense? Do you frame it that way too?

  • Kimi87
    Kimi87 Online Community Member Posts: 7,444 Championing

    Yes that makes sense. I take the opposite view, I'm alone, no one is putting myself first so I need to do it for my own protection and safety.

  • StarryEyed
    StarryEyed Online Community Member Posts: 198 Empowering

    Yes, I see it like that too. Ideally everyone should take care of themselves first. It's like on an airplane you need to put on your own oxygen mask first. That's to save yourself for yourself and then, if you're so inclined, you can be available to help others.

    I just really like being independent too. Ironically, we sometimes have to ask for a little help to be independent, like in the example you give of lodging your code with the local ambulance so you can live independently.

  • Catherine21
    Catherine21 Posts: 8,062 Championing

    I been stocking piling tins funny enough just ordered loads of bottles water brought a crank radio power bank for phone and seriously considering solar powered generator there been a hacking of EE /BT two weeks ago i dont trust government or outside government to make the grid go down I truly believe the next few years we will experience alot of things so helpful this advice thankyou

  • Holly_Scope
    Holly_Scope Posts: 4,155 Scope Online Community Coordinator

    This is a great discussion as we start to enter winter - thank you so much for sharing this and for your kind words @StarryEyed. It's so important for people, especially in remote areas and Scotland who tend to get the brunt of it! Looking forward to learning more about your preparation.

Categories