Emergency responders have limited resources and, in some incidents such as Covid-19 and Beast from the East, difficulty can be experienced in providing immediate support to all affected communities. Emergency responders can’t be everywhere, at the same time. They must prioritise areas in the greatest need, especially where lives are at risk.
By taking action to prepare for, respond to and recover from incidents, you can help to minimise the negative impacts of incidents on your community. Some things that communities can do to reduce the effects of an incident can include:
- checking on vulnerable people in your area
- offering lifts to supermarkets and pharmacies
- opening a community facility as a place of safety
- in severe weather you could offer to clear snow from driveways, roads and footpaths
You can take this a step further and develop arrangements to co-ordinate these kinds of activities, a key benefit being that your community is even more prepared to deal with, respond to and recover from an incident. This will minimise damage and disruption to your community’s people and infrastructure. With communities more prepared and therefore resilient, it also makes it easier for Fife Council and other emergency responders to direct and dedicate scarce resources in an emergency more efficiently.
Are these things happening in your community already? If so, your community is already practising what is considered ‘community resilience’.
Read on to find out more about:
- Steps to take when thinking about developing community arrangements
- The types of community arrangements that can be made
- Case studies of existing community resilience groups
- Volunteering with other organisations
It is important to note that any arrangements undertaken by an individual or community should not aim to replace the work of Category 1 responders but complement their work in times of emergencies.
Resilient communities start with resilient individuals and households. If you haven’t already, make sure to read our page ‘Ready at Home’.