https://crimestoppers-uk.org/Thurlaston Emergency Planning & Neighbourhood Safety
During the course of 2019 and up to the date of writing this advisory note, the Thurlaston Parish Council has consulted on the ways we can advise parishioners on how to stay safe as individuals and cascade concerns we may have from time to time within our community. The Parish Council also has responsibility for the preparation and updating of its formal Emergency Plan.
The Parish Council’s revised safety guidance has therefore been expanded to cover two main areas:
- Emergency situations - defined as an emergency/major incident in which any event or circumstance (happening with or without warning) causes or threatens death or injury, disruption to the community, or damage to property or to the environment on such a scale that the effect cannot wholly be dealt with by the emergency services, local authorities and other organisations as part of their normal day-to day activities.
- How as individuals we can stay safe as part of daily life.
1. Community Emergency Plan
In the event of any serious incident which imposes a risk to life dial 999 and you are advised to contact emergency services of the help that is urgently required.
In addition, and when it is safe to do so, you should also contact any of the Parish Council representatives listed below:
| Parish Clerk 07785 936740 |
Holger Allroggen 07815 862841 |
Robert Ashford 07775 708766 |
| Lee White 07590 282648 | Gary Smith 07771 666523 |
Stephen Lewington 01788 810927 |
During 2019/20 consultation was undertaken with emergency support agencies regarding the development of a new Community Emergency Plan which would be invoked should there be a major incident within the village. The Parish Council decided to model its plan on the Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Council’s Planning, Preparing and Responding to Emergencies documentation. In short, the agency is known as the CSW Resilience Team or simply CSWRT.
CSWRT can respond to emergencies that occur within community localities. They assist in the production of generic over-arching emergency plans for each authority. They also provide advice on managing hazards and the development of capable specific plans – such as for fire safety, severe weather, industrial accidents, business continuity planning etc.
The actual Community Emergency Plan manual is held by the Parish Council and made available to support agencies such as CSWRT. However the actual document is not available to the public because it contains protected information.
Please also consider your neighbours and whether they might need assistance in the event of an emergency, or if you feel you might need to reach out for help in such a situation. Make sure that we are all aware of this. ThurlastonNet is a useful way of making village-wide announcements or requests for urgent help.
General information concerning preparation for emergencies is available on Rugby Borough Council’s website. This provides information guidance on issues such as:
- Pandemic flu/virus infections
- Extreme cold and snow
- Animal diseases
- Heatwave and drought
- Industrial accidents
- Water pollution
- Serious transport disruption
- Widespread power cuts
2. Neighbourhood Safety
The general feeling seems to be that our community employs many techniques to look after the welfare of ourselves and our neighbours and membership of a recognised Neighbourhood Watch scheme is unnecessary. However we share many of the objectives of such schemes.
- To improve community safety generally including, e.g., fire safety.
- To prevent crime by improving security, increasing vigilance, creating and maintaining a caring community and reducing opportunities for crime by increasing crime prevention awareness.
- To assist the police in detecting crime by promoting effective communication and the prompt reporting of suspicious and criminal activity.
- To reduce undue fear of crime by providing accurate information about risks and by promoting a sense of security and community spirit, particularly amongst the more vulnerable members of the community.
- To improve police/community liaison by providing effective communications.
The purpose of this note is not to redefine a process which seems to work very well in our parish, rather to collate some of the mechanisms we all employ to alert potential problems. The note will also provide links to organisations which generally give sound advice.
- The major tool in the prevention of crime and safety awareness is the ThurlastonNet email service. If you are not a member of the group then our advice is that you should be. Details on how to join ThurlastonNet are available on this website. The postings can alert potential problems and very often can report current activities which are giving cause for concern.
- There is good advice at Warwickshire Rural Watch
This is a free scheme to help combat rural crime in Warwickshire;
Receive alerts of incidents in your area;
Lots of crime prevention advice;
The site is supported by Warwickshire Police.
- There is good advice offered by the Warwickshire Police. In October 2020 their Rugby Safer Neighbourhood Team has also produced a leaflet which provides useful advice. PCSO Dave Banks is a useful contact here.
- Keep using the ThurlastonNet when you have suspicions.
The advice from the police is:
- Call 999 in an emergency;
- Call 101 to report an incident or if you have a concern;
- Don't challenge people;
- Don't put yourself at risk.
To report information anonymously call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or use the
Crimestoppers website. The advice on this website gives good information on techniques which allow you to give a good description of someone acting suspiciously and things to look for if you were trying to describe a suspicious vehicle. There is also useful information on how to make yourself more secure at home and how to protect your possessions.
Revised September 2023