A PLAN of action in the event of an emergency is to be drawn up by Overton Parish Council.
Councillors discussed the idea of creating an emergency plan after reading in The Gazette that Whitchurch is set to trial its emergency plan this month.
Councillor Brian Langer said: “If you actually wanted to get hold of someone it would be difficult. I don’t think we have been on top of it.
“There’s nothing on our noticeboard to say who the councillors are, an address or telephone number. I think if we are going to have a parish council noticeboard, it needs to be more helpful.
“If the ambulance or fire brigade came from outside of the village, they wouldn’t know who the parish councillors are. They need something to know who to contact.”
Cllr Adam Trickett said councillors may need to be contacted in an event of an emergency if the buildings needed using, adding: “If there’s been an accident and they need an emergency triage or accommodation.”
However, he also pointed out that a prolonged power cut could also result in serious problems.
He added: “In that situation, we would worry about people who can’t heat their houses. These are the two kinds of emergency. We should be able to come up with a strategy for both of them.”
Cllr Langer suggested asking villagers to let the parish council know if they would be vulnerable during a power cut.
But council clerk Laura Harley said this could be “dangerous.”She added: “If 50 people contacted us and said they are really vulnerable during a power cut, are we going to keep them safe?”
Cllr Lucy Sloane Williams suggested asking villagers if they would like to help draw up an emergency plan.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here