Where to go for help and advice

Different communities face different issues and have different strengths and ideas about how to tackle them. So, your Community Emergency Plan will be unique to your community.

This guide includes ‘Community Emergency Plan’ templates. You can use or change them in whatever way suits you and your community, including adding your own community name, logo or any other information that you think is relevant to your community.

You may find it helpful to talk to people in other community groups in your local and neighbouring areas who may have already developed emergency plans. Your local authority will have an emergency planning or resilience contact who may be able to provide help. It is a good initial contact that can put you in touch with the key people locally.

It is very important that you:

• talk with people in your community who have resources that they can use to help
• talk with your local authority to make sure that what you are planning fits in with the ’big picture’ of how your local emergency responders would act in an emergency

Ready Scotland

The Scottish Government’s Ready Scotland website is a useful source of information for communities that want to develop Community Emergency Plans. It contains this guide, planning templates, and information about how anyone can prepare for and respond to challenges. Ready Scotland also has a learning section, with information on how emergencies are managed in Scotland and who the key partners are, as well as links to trusted learning content on emergency-related topics from other providers. Find out more about Ready Scotland.

Scottish Flood Forum

The Scottish Flood Forum has helped many communities in Scotland to set up Community Flood Groups. These groups have helped communities threatened by flooding or severe weather to become more resilient. They have collaborated with community councils and local authorities to identify solutions that work in local communities, and contributions that local people can safely make. Find out more about the Scottish Flood Forum.

Third Sector Interface

You will also get advice on sources of support, learning and development from your local Third Sector Interface. They are a local starting point to find out more about volunteering; setting up and running a third sector organisation; or using social enterprise as a model to deliver social good. Find your local Third Sector Interface.