The aim is to provide clear, practical advice to help you prepare for and respond to an emergency. A lot of thee information is common sense, but it has saved lives.
It is important that you, your family, businesses and local communities are prepared.
You can significantly reduce the risks for you, your family and your property by being informed and ready to respond to events.
All the responding agencies in Dartford work hard to make sure they are as prepared as they can be in the event of an emergency.
Plans are regularly reviewed, and staff from the emergency services and other agencies take part in simulated emergency exercises and training.
In the first stages of an emergency, the priority will be to protect life and property wherever we can, and then to help communities recover as quickly as possible.
Sometimes a major emergency will only affect one area of the community, at other times it could affect a wider region. Whatever the extent, we will work closely with the media to get information out to you quickly, so that you can assess any likely impact on you and your family.
The following information and the 'What should I do in an emergency?' booklet has been produced by the Kent Resilience Forum - Preparing for emergencies in Kent and Medway.
National counter terrorism - stay safe film:
National Counter Terrorism Policing is providing advice to the public on the steps they can take to keep themselves safe in the rare event of a firearms or weapons attack.
Please see the information and advice on the Government's website.
So what's the emergency:
'It'll never happen to me.'
That's what everyone thinks. Until it does.
No matter how careful you are, there are some things you can't control. And any one of them could hit you and your family hard, damage your home severely, or seriously harm your business.
Yet it's not hard to make sure you're properly prepared for an emergency. These pages will tell you how - and help you create your own household emergency plan.
What kind of things are we talking about? Take a look at the event headings below.
Flood
One in six UK properties is at risk from flooding. Here's how to be ready for it
Fire
Reduce fire hazards. Contact Kent Fire and Rescue Service on 0800 9237000 or visit www.kent.fire-uk.org for free home fire safety advice
High winds
Secure or store loose objects outside that could blow into windows
Heavy snow extreme cold
Make sure you've enough insulation around your water tank(s), loft and external water pipes
Summer heat waves
During long periods of hot weather people and animals are at risk from the effects of high temperatures. Here are some ways to reduce the risk
Contagious diseases
Infectious diseases such as pandemic influenza, and animal diseases such as foot and mouth or avian flu, can be serious health hazards
Loss of power and water
Failures in power and water supplies are rare, and are often linked to severe weather events. These simple steps will help you to stay safe and as comfortable as possible throughout any disruption
Security incidents
While it's important to go about your daily business normally, it's sensible to be alert to anyone who might be endangering the public
General information
Tips and hints for all emergencies
Make a Household Emergency Plan
It'll only take a few minutes, but it could be a lifesaver
Pack an emergency grab bag
In an emergency you may need to move quickly, so it's important to have necessities at hand. Ideally, you should pack an easy-to-carry bag with essentials and store it in an accessible place
Be a good neighbour
In an emergency some people are more vulnerable than others - the elderly, very young or disabled, for instance...
Have emergency friends
An easy way to prepare for emergencies is to identify 'emergency friends'
In Case of Emergency partners
Who should emergency services contact if you're injured?
Emergency information schemes
It can be vital to have medical and personal information accessible in an emergency. There are various ways of doing this
Health advice
A simple first aid course can give you basic skills that could help save a life. For local courses see St. John Ambulance www.sja.org.uk/ or British Red Cross www.redcrossfirstaidtraining.co.uk
How ready are you
Try this test to see how prepared you are for an emergency
Local radio stations for Kent and Medway
Your local radio stations for Kent and Medway
Quick reference emergency and information contacts
A quick reference emergency and information contacts