Most UK adults are totally unprepared for an emergency

New British Red Cross report ‘Ready for Anything’ says needs of individuals and communities must be at heart of response to flooding, terror attacks, and other emergencies. 

A quarter (26%) of UK adults think they will be affected by a major emergency, but more than two thirds (70%) admit nobody in their household has taken steps to prepare.[1] That’s according to new research from the British Red Cross.[2]

Stephen Baker, Chief Executive for Suffolk Coastal and Waveney District Councils, today backs the Red Cross call for the voluntary sector, emergency services, local authorities and the Government to work better together to meet four key needs identified in the report:

• Communicating essential information
• Addressing immediate practical needs
• Providing mental health and psychosocial support
• Helping people rebuild lives with access to advocacy, advice and ongoing support

Drawing on a survey of 5,000 UK adults, and insights from those with direct experience of major incidents and emergencies, Ready for anything: Putting people at the heart of emergency response, looks in depth at what people expect and need when crisis hits.

The report finds that when emergencies happen, such as fires, flooding, or a terror attack, individuals and communities respond very differently. The support they are given to plan, cope with and recover from an emergency should reflect that diversity. For example, 42% of UK adults would want support finding family members they had become separated from following a bomb threat or terror attack. And more younger people say they’d want emotional support than older people, 26% of those aged 18-24 compared with 14% of those over 65.

The report also shows providing cash for people to buy what they need in an emergency, rather than assuming what they need, was often more culturally appropriate and desired. It gives people dignity and allows them to make decisions about their own recovery.

The British Red Cross responds to an emergency in the UK approximately every four hours. The charity and its volunteers carry out first aid, run rest centres and provide safe spaces where they offer emotional and practical support. Every year, it helps around half a million people in the UK to prepare for, respond to and recover from a crisis. It believes greater collaboration between different agencies and charities, as well as sharing local knowledge and insights, will help meet the wide range of individual needs in a crisis.

British Red Cross’ Crisis Response Director for Suffolk, Bernice Jones, said: “Major emergencies in the UK are thankfully rare and it’s important to stress the majority of people won’t be caught up in one. But, whether it’s a flood, fire, power or water outage or other alert, this report builds on our knowledge of how to respond and support people’s recovery best.

“One size doesn’t fit all, and planning together and listening to people’s needs locally can both reassure and empower communities to withstand incidents in future.”

Stephen Baker is Chief Executive for Suffolk Coastal and Waveney District Councils and civil resilience spokesperson for the Solace professionals network.

 He said: “When a crisis hits, local authorities have an important role to play, providing practical support and acting as a source of trusted information. But as this report highlights, every emergency is personal and can have devastating effects on individuals and families.

“No one sector can meet the variety of needs which people may have following an emergency; it requires a joined-up approach between councils, emergency services and the voluntary sector.

“Together we can prepare for and respond to emergencies in a more collaborative fashion in order to ensure that everyone’s individual needs can be addressed in the most effective way.”

Naomi Phillips, Director of Policy and Advocacy, at the British Red Cross said: “Our report offers powerful insights into what people require after an emergency, whether a major event or the need to evacuate their home for a fire or flood, something that could happen to anyone. We’re inviting emergency responders across all sectors to work with us and share our learnings.”

The report also looks at the needs of those who respond to emergencies, whether as a job or through volunteering. It also corrects some misconceptions, e.g. a quarter of people wrongly believe that firefighters and the police routinely monitor social media for people needing help, or that posting on social media is a good way to alert emergency services.

The report includes personal testimony from ordinary members of the public who experienced emergencies, one said: “I realised the extent of what was happening, that my daughter was going to be wearing not her own clothes, clothes that didn’t fit her, nappies that didn’t fit her, and that’s when I think it hit home with me that our lives had been turned upside down. It was silly things, I remember the first day I got a pink blanket to give her … that was a big thing for me.”

And a Red Cross volunteer speaks in the report about the importance of talking things through: “We as humans have a built-in need after a stressful situation to go and talk about it. It’s part of our survival mechanism.”

The British Red Cross is also using the report launch to highlight some simple steps organisations and individuals can take to help prepare for any eventuality:

• The Red Cross in Suffolk is recruiting for emergency response volunteers. To find out more email ILCRVolRecruitment@redcross.org.uk.
• Download Ready for Anything and the British Red Cross’ other emergency response reports
• Explore the Red Cross’s top tips on giving emotional support in an emergency
• Download its free emergency response app: receive alerts about incidents like flooding in your area; available in the Apple App Store and Google Play.
• Download its free first aid app; get first aid advice at your fingertips; available for Apple via iTunes or Google Play.

Picture Caption: British Red Cross responds to an emergency approximately every four hours © Antonio Zazueta Olmos/British Red Cross

Find out more and download British Red Cross’ Ready for Anything report here.

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