Communities given helping hand for emergencies (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Communities given helping hand for emergencies

8:00am Wednesday 17th October 2012 in News By Ian Craig

COMMUNITIES in the Cotswolds are being given an extra helping hand in case of an emergency.

The ‘battle boxes’ provided by Cotswold District Council contain equipment including foil blankets and wind-up torches to help support vulnerable people in an emergency situation such as flooding or heavy snow.

The boxes were officially launched in Barnsley on Monday, where CDC cabinet member for communities Cllr Carole Topple (Con, Riversmeet) handed over the first box to Parish Meeting chairman Howard Franks.

Cllr Topple said the council had been working to make sure plans were in place to help communities in times of emergency since the devastating floods of 2007.

“Many have responded by setting up flood and snow wardens, establishing places of safety within their communities and creating community emergency plans,” she said. “The Battle Boxes will be issued to those communities that have established their emergency plans and I hope that they will find the contents useful in times of emergency, especially before the ‘blue light’ services appear on the scene.”

The 30 boxes, which have been funded by grants from the Department of Health and the Home Office, will be issued on a first-come first-serve basis.

Other communities receiving them will include Avening, Coln St Aldwyns, Fairford, Kempsford and Lechlade.