Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Some two years ago now The K.K.C. send a letter round to all parish councils ,saying that they wanted all parish councils in Kent to set up their own emergency centres in case the parish gets cut off.or the emergency servise could not get there.They set up meetings in the KKCoffices and aske cllrs to go along and help and find out the best way forward.Well I went along to the meetings because I think that it was and is a good plan.THey were very good meetings and I also put forward the ways which might help.At the end of the meetings they said they would think of all what have been said and information would be send out.And true to their word that did happen,in the letters we was told that a office would be set up and maned to help parish councils to set up the centres and they would also send out a officer to any council that would a PRESENTATATION THIS AGAIN happen two of the councils I was on at the time.Then things went wrong first because of the KKC cut backs they first had to close the office which was setup, then it was the officer who was full time ,inthe end all there was a help line.Must Say I do not blame the KKC they have to make the cuts because of funding. But I said to all four councils at the time we should still go ahead with seting up the centres even that we were close to Dover ,one never knows what might happen,and for once all four councils went along with me on this one.I said first we must set out on paper want is needed in case of a emergency and where in the parish would the centre be,so in all the parishs it would be the p/hall this done the next was to draw up names and phone numbers of Drs,helpers the manning of the centre etc, well all four councils started to do this but then sorry to say because things did not turn out the wayI was hoping.(I will not go into that)I found that I had to give up on 3 of them.So I do not think it has moved forward any more then that.but parish councils need to get them up and running . At this time we are still trying to setup one on the last council I am on.It is my hope once this is done we will have mock setups at times so we all know what to do in a emergency and have the right kind of persons manning the centres at that time.this also very good to bring the parish public to meetup and work with each other,I told the police of my plan they said they would work longside the council to set it up. There is alot more to be done by all four councils,and hope it happens but I do not know.The centre would have one boss as to put it,who would have all the phone numbers that were needed incase of the emergency.and the helping of the elderly and sick etc would always be top of that list.I am just sorry that I will not be about to see all this happen ,it is moving very slow if at all.But I might be wrong it wait and see. abut if you live in a parish please push them along tp make it happen I am always on the end of a phone if any parish needs help,but some parishs in Kent have done it and they are up and running.Just because we live near the town does not mean at some point we will not need the center even set one up in the town,with all the cut backs on public servise we see happing the more need for the centres, I even worked out that we would need a list of four/wheel drive cars etc . Alot of work as gone into it I would hate to see it wasted,but sorry to say that it looks that way from where I am at this time.Thank you Vic Matcham parish cllr.jUST to add any group or parish would like to set one of the centers I will come along and talk to you about it and help set it up.
Guest 977- Registered: 27 Jun 2013
- Posts: 1,031
Lydden looked at this and decided we'd be reinventing the wheel -
1 our contact details are published online and on paper and well known to the necessary organisations
2
KCC has emergency planning that we aware of
3 DDC has emergency planning and advice that we aware of
4
The South East 4x4 Response Team is already in existence and we know how to contact them
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
I told the council at the time each parish must have its own setup within the parish and tested to make shore it is going to work.All parishs have their eldery even in their 90s or older,Anyway I am not going into all that again just hope your council never wants the use of one,others might feel they do,and I can and will help to set them up.It was the KKC that asked parishs to do it.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
All that notice above reading beween the lines is saying you got to look after yourself and in lots of cases that can not be done,all parishs even the town that have the odd house or to up lanes hard to find and that is where you will find the older ones the plan would have coved all that,and you do not need a major disaster for some members of parishs to need help there are aready some that can not get out because of all this rain they might need pills etc running out of food or get to the Drs ,so as I said each parish need one of the centres I am talking about it would need a small amount of funding but not alot and help will be given by the K.K.C.
Guest 977- Registered: 27 Jun 2013
- Posts: 1,031
Vic, it's not a notice it's a 16 page booklet full of advice, contact detail and useful information, available free from DDC. I thought you might know that with your interest in the matter.
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
I agree with Ray.When this was discussed at River Parish Council People spoke to me afterwards .I was able to advise DDC have an Emergency Plan and are linked up to KCC.This came into operation recently when parts of Sandwich were flooded.
We know where to place people in nearby schools etc.The last thing that is needed is too many people trying to advise .
DDC officers often have practise training .
The booklet is helpful.If a Parish Clerk has a copy.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
It does have what you say but a parish still needs it own centre and setup because it is only members of a parish know or should know the layout of it and where and what its needs are . The center needs a few camp beds it needs a major first aid kit and members who know how to use it most have anyway running water and a cooker it needs a wall plan of the parish and the very main thing its to do mockups of a emergencies like they do at airports and the port of Dover so all know what to do,if there was a emergencie now you all would be running around headless you would all be trying to help but not having clew .I was trained by the army and run a first aid team on the railway we was always doing mockups it the only way to know and work with each other.Just readind a booklet about itis not going to be much help on the day all to late then,you need to know where and who you can call out/24/7 and that needs to be put to the test and phone numbers of the public who are skilled and unskilled that will turn out .
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Mrs Sue Nicholas is wrong it what she is saying a parish not need its own center they do,what the D,D,C, does is good and a help but does not cover it all,and as I aready said the centre would be maned by members who were trained up I have said to about mockups. But lets hope as I said they are not needed time will tell. But it was the K.K.C that started this off and asking parishs to do it not vic matcham so again Mrs sue nicholas does not know it all sorry but no other way of puting it.
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,895
I am trying to sort this out in my head.
Vic, are you saying that Parish Councils should buy camp beds etc on the off chance they will be needed in some emergency that is very unlikely to ever happen.
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I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
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Guest 977- Registered: 27 Jun 2013
- Posts: 1,031
Vic, I appreciate your interest but the booklet is about preparing for emergencies, not something to read through when you have one. The facilities you suggest would mean an extra cost on the precept which we didn't consider justifiable, the training you suggest likewise.
As Sue says, in case of an emergency the last thing you need is too many people doing things uncoordinated - we know how to get in touch with the emergency services, they know how to get in touch with us, and we would rather rely on trained professionals to tell us what to do in such a situation.
As far as I remember the leaflet isn't just available to parish clerks but was delivered to every household that is the target for it - it is also available for download from the
DDC Emergency planning pages. This is the end of our public service announcement for the day
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Yes I do .Just to add to this when Folkestone rd was flooded some years ago and I was called out as a ward cllr it was hrs before the D,D,C even came out I was on the phone to them even phoned their leader but they did not have any plans in place to help ,I know we have moved on from there but if a parish does get cut off like the ones in cornwall the parish needs it know centre set up. Camp beds only cost a few bob to buy and some council are siting on over £60.000 per year so if they lose £18000 per year on a reg ground they have the cash to get a few camp beds etc but also there is funding about to help. And the beds will be used in the mockups at times and if there is a big fire or anything they can be used by members to rest on or some one made homlless over night in Cornwall they are useing all this kind of setup public are sleeping in there for some days,but do not think it could happen here because it could.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Lydden is on a very small precept and would need funding from outside and that funding is there other councils like River ,Whitfield have a very big precept and could if the wish to set one up within their own precept but Lydden as I said would need help.
Sue Nicholas- Location: river
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 6,025
I have just been talking to my daughter .Some of you know she worked for 25 years in the NHS director for 8 .They had regular emergency training and several times had to evacate Health Centres .I dont know it all but in 27 years I have gained some knowledge.I have also earnt the tittle of Councllor.I would not want see the precept spent on camp beds.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Some years ago I was working at the Ashford railway works in Newtown Which is in the town of Ashford and newtown got flooded going into all the houses etc so at the works we had to set up a center because the servise could not get there we were trained by the railway at that time so we went out and some of the public came back into the works where they were looked after we had a fire tender which was very old but we used it for training so we wheeled it out and was pumping the water out of the homes I also took part in helping a parish out when snow cut them off in Otterburn and we was there doing army winter training at the time,so I think I do know what I am talking about. I am not going to get in awar with the above post that is not helping but I have put my case forward and why I done it, its now down to the parishs to act or not act as in the pass.I do not have much more I can say about it.
Guest 756- Registered: 6 Jun 2012
- Posts: 727
Vic, I agree. It would be wise for a PC to have links within their communities for emergency planning i.e. the keyholders for halls, parish centres and schools. Is anyone trained to give first aid or medcal support? Every community pulls together in times of crisis but would it not be good to know where to seek help when you are in a crisis situation? Not that costly for the clerk to hold a simple list of contacts.
I think it's a good idea to forward plan.
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Thank you so much for just saying that,I have over the years done alot of homework over this and talking to the KCC about it and they were telling me and helping in saying what was needed to set it all up.But like the outside gyms I feel I have wasted alot of time because anything I say or try to do has been put down as you have just seen for yourself in the above posts I have put up with that for years when siting on councils just because I get up and say what I think . Only one more year to go and sorry to say this I will be glad when that is over and all the plans I have wrote down and looked into can be put in the bin.
Guest 756- Registered: 6 Jun 2012
- Posts: 727
Vic, passion for your community is never wrong. I'm sure if you look back your achievements will outweigh negative comments.
Too few people step up to serve their communities, hundreds surge forward to complain!
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
Sorry that has not happen but all I want is for the parishs to do it ,I do not care or trying to make a name for myself just get on with it,we all know how long a person can wait for the police or you might need a midwife it could be anything and you are told it could be hours before help gets to you but with a parish centre setup help could get to you within mins/ phone the D.D.C. right now if some one is there tell them there is a emergency at map ref ====== see if they would come out right there and then ,With a well trained setup parish emergency all would be at hand and you all would sleep alot better knowing if somthing did happen help is at hand right away..I have set out to get achievements but it has all been negative but again thank you so much for what you have said and the way you said it.And if you are one of the helpers it will make you feel good because you have helped others .Its also good for the community you all get to know each other lots of good points in the setup.And you can buy a camp bed for £15 each.There are parts of Dover that get cutoff with lorrys after acrash you need a midwife right away they can not get to you,but there might be one living where you are but you do not know that at the time you might need first aid, with the a centre set up it would all be at hand.
Guest 700- Registered: 11 Jun 2010
- Posts: 2,868
If I remember correctly, our (Tilmanstone) Parish has compiled lists of people who could help in emergencies, i.e. their skills (nursing etc), ready to put into action if the need arises.
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Lincolnshire Born and Bred
Guest 756- Registered: 6 Jun 2012
- Posts: 727
That may be part of the problem Kath, it needs to be made known so that people know that that information can be available when needed and who to contact in the first instance.
