The chances of you and your family being caught up in a major emergency are low. However, in an emergency situation, it may be some time before the emergency or support services can help you, making it very important that you and your family have made the necessary preparations to take care of yourselves.

This website, designed by Dumfries and Galloway Major Emergency Scheme, provides Dumfries and Galloway specific information on major emergencies and explains what you and your family can do to:

• Prepare for major emergencies
• Protect yourself from major emergencies
• Recover effectively from major emergencies

In the event of a major emergency, the latest information will appear in the ‘News’ section of this website; giving you advice and keeping you up to date with what is going on in the area.

What is a Major Emergency?

A major emergency is defined as:

“An event or situation which threatens serious damage to human welfare; the environment or war or terrorism affecting the security of the United Kingdom”.

Examples of major emergencies include:

• natural disasters such as severe flooding, storms and snow
• major traffic accidents involving ships; aircrafts or road traffic
• pandemic flu and other serious illnesses
• terrorism

'put simply, major emergencies are those which affect a large number of people in one go; they are different from small-scale emergencies, which only affect one or a few households'

FACT:
Dumfries and Galloway has experienced all of the following:

Air disaster
Terrorism
Sea disaster
Rail disaster
Road disaster
Foot and Mouth

Thank you to: the Highlands and Islands SCG for the use of some of their content from their ‘Preparing for Emergencies in the Highlands and Islands’ booklet; Cumbria County Council for the use of some of their content, namely the community emergency plan information and also Cleveland Emergency Planning Unit for the use of some of their content, namely the household emergency plan.