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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.