What to do in an emergency?
An emergency could happen at any time and have a variety of consequences. One way to be better prepared is to have a ready-made emergency grab-bag in your home that is stored in an accessible area.
Emergency grab bag
- Torch (with batteries) or wind up torch
- Radio marked with frequencies for local stations (with batteries) or wind up radio
- First aid kit
- Bottled water / canned drinks
- Baby food and care items
- Mobile phone (with charger)
- Money and bank cards
- Basic toiletries
- Essential medicine
- Emergency phone numbers
- Identification documents
- Home and car keys
- Insurance documents
Evacuation checklist
- Listen to the advice of the emergency services
- Collect your emergency grab bag and make sure you have the contents on the checklist
- Check you have your keys, wallet and phone
- Grab some warm clothing to change into
- Move pets to safety
- Make sure you secure your home properly
- Follow the directions from the emergency services
Essential supplies: Keep a supply of tinned food and bottled water at home in case you need to stay indoors.
In an emergency in the UK always dial 999: police, ambulance, fire and rescue.
The government is working hard to make sure that the UK is as prepared as it can be in the event of an emergency, and it is important that you are ready too.
By being informed and prepared, you can significantly reduce the risk to life and property.
Key contact details
Hospitals
- Bowden House Clinic - 020 8966 7000
- Northwick Park Hospital NHS Trust - 020 8864 3232
- Clementine Churchill Hospital - 020 8872 3872
- St. Marks Hospital - 020 8235 4000
Local emergency support
- Harrow police station - 101
- NHS Direct - 0845 4647
- Harrow fire service - 020 7587 4721
- Fire service - 999 (non-emergency 020 8555 1200)
- Anti-terrorism hotline - 0800 789 321
Floods
- The Environment Agency - 0845 9333 111