BRITAIN: Britons were less prepared for an emergency yesterday than they were 30 years ago, a top policeman said.
The president of the Association of Chief Police Officers, Mr Chris Fox, said a new leaflet on how to prepare for a terrorist attack or other crisis may help shake up people who had become accustomed to "comfortable" lives in a 24-hour convenience culture.
The 22-page pamphlet will be delivered to all 25 million homes in the UK over the next month in an £8.3 million (€12.6 million)public information drive.
It includes details on the operation of mass decontaminations after a chemical, biological or radiological attack, basic first-aid advice, and information on preventing a terror attack.
The leaflet also includes a list of useful items householders should keep at home including bottled water, tinned food, a battery radio, torch, spare batteries, first-aid kit, mobile phone and cash.
It was written by government officials and experts from the emergency services, the Security Service MI5, the Chief Medical Officer and the Emergency Planning Society.
Mr Fox said: "I think people have got common sense but they have been weaned away from risk."
He said he believed the pamphlet would inform people who had become used to the "convenience culture" of what they must do in an emergency.
"Do people know where to turn their water off? Do you have a radio that works off batteries? There are sensible, simple things that people can do to ease themselves through a crisis."
During the launch of the booklet in central London, the chairman of the Emergency Planning Society, Mr John Asquith, said he believed Britain would score nine or even 10 out of 10 for its current levels of preparedness for an emergency incident.
Home Office Minister Ms Caroline Flint said: "The message is, 'Be prepared but get on with your everyday life'." She said it was important to keep the guidance simple and in plain English.
A publicity campaign announcing the delivery of the leaflets will begin with a TV commercial, said the Minister.
One of the main pieces of advice is "go in, stay in, tune in" - denoting that people should go inside and stay there in the event of an emergency, and listen to local radio or TV.
It also includes advice on what to do if your children are at school when an emergency takes place. "Please tune in to your local radio station for advice and for details of the arrangements your local council has made for letting parents know when to collect their children from school."
Survival: tips in an emergency
If you find yourself in an emergency, your "common sense and instincts" should tell you what to do, according to the British government's colourful 22-page booklet, Preparing For Emergencies: What You Need To Know.
But it also details how to prepare for the worst, how to cope if disaster strikes and what you can do to prevent terrorism.
If you are caught up in an emergency, it says, you should make sure 999 has been called. If you are not involved in an incident, remember the message "go in, stay in, tune in" - go inside a safe building, stay there and tune in to local radio or TV for more information.
It also gives information on worse scenarios, such as bombings. "If you are trapped in debris," it advises, "stay close to a wall and tap on pipes so that rescuers can hear you" - and do not strike a naked flame in case of gas leaks.
The leaflet talks of chemical, biological or radiological incidents, advising people to move away from the source of danger but also wait to be decontaminated.