UK Be Ready campaign advises three days of supplies at home
The UK government's Be Ready campaign is advising people to keep three days' worth of supplies at home for use during severe weather or cyber-attacks.
The guidance is set out in a two-page document. The Guardian reports that it recommends bottled water and non-perishable food for three days, a torch with spare batteries, a wind-up FM radio, a first aid kit and a copy of a passport.
The campaign also advises people not to rush. Households are told to check their cupboards first and to build up emergency items gradually on regular shopping trips, which it describes as a way to avoid panic buying.
Retailers and advice sites have seen a rise in interest. Jack Brown, co-owner of Sgt Prepper Shop, said his business received a month's worth of orders in the first 24 hours of the campaign. Dan Goss, who runs Start Prepping UK, said traffic to his website had risen 700% since news of the Be Ready campaign emerged in August.
Some researchers have questioned whether public messaging of this kind causes alarm. Dr Sarita Robinson, associate dean for the School of Psychology and Humanities at the University of Lancashire, said there is little evidence that emergency messaging campaigns cause panic.
The government has tied the advice to everyday risks as well as rare ones. In a statement published on 22 October, it said that taking simple steps to be ready for emergencies such as severe storms can reduce pressure on emergency services. It also noted that severe weather can occasionally affect services such as power. The campaign says that being ready for three days helps people manage while support reaches those who need it. The Independent reported that the campaign urges the public to prepare for food shortages and widespread disruption from cyber attacks and emergencies.
Other government resources are available. The separate Prepare website offers a downloadable Be Ready checklist, guidance on volunteering and supporting the community in an emergency, and information on checking eligibility for the Priority Services Register, a scheme that offers support during power cuts and other outages. People in Scotland are directed to Ready Scotland and people in Northern Ireland to NI Direct for local advice. The site points users to the Met Office for weather information and to its email alerts and warnings. It also states that it will not be updated with live information during an emergency.
The Be Ready guidance says anyone in immediate danger should call 999.
