Emergency Planning
Information and guidance about emergency planning
Reporting flooding
Everyone living and working in Boston should be aware that there is a possibility of flooding in all coastal areas of Lincolnshire and that global warming and sea level rise will make this more likely in the future. Information about flood protection is published by the National Flood Forum. Visit their website for more information.
If you are experiencing flooding, or you need to report potential flooding, please call Lincolnshire County Council's dedicated 24-hour flood reporting line on 01522 782082.
In a flooding emergency however, you should call 999.
For clarity, Boston Borough Council does not supply sandbags, neither empty nor filled, to any resident or business in Boston Borough as the responsibility for safeguarding homes and businesses lies with the owner.
If you are a tenant of a Housing Association or a Private Landlord and your home is at immediate risk of flooding, you may wish to contact them directly to see whether they are able to provide you any assistance
Emergency Planning and Business Continuity
Emergency Planning & Business Continuity describes the processes of responding to crisis be it internal or external.
In Lincolnshire this process is performed by the Lincolnshire County Council Emergency Planning Unit with support from district and borough councils.
Boston Borough Council, as a Category 1 Responder, along with the county council has the responsibility to plan, prepare, respond to and recover from potential emergencies, disasters and business disruptions affecting the borough.
Under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (CCA 2004), Boston Borough Council also have the responsibility to promote business continuity to small and medium enterprises in the borough to encourage them to think about what they would do in a crisis to ensure their business survives the impacts.
Together we offer advice and guidance to all communities in the borough around identified risks. For more information, visit the Lincolnshire County Council website.
Could you cope in an emergency?
Disasters happen any time of the day or night. Would you know what to do?
There are a number of things that we can all do to safeguard our families, friends, neighbours and pets from simply having a plan in place to evacuate to becoming a member of your local community emergency group (if your community has one). By having a simple grab containing basic survival items, important documents, medicines and telephone numbers you are in a better place to be able to keep yourself and family's safe.
When emergencies do happen, the emergency services, local authority and voluntary agencies will be busy helping those that need assistance the most so being able to look after yourself for a short period of time will ease the pressure on these service and assist in your safety. It is up to you to make sure your family and the people you care about know what to do and when to do it until support arrives.
It is essential to keep all important documents and telephone numbers safe and if possible with you if you need to evacuate so you can make contact with insurance companies, banks and other agencies that may be able to assist. Remember your mobile telephone charger!
Community resilience
Your community may have a plan in place which can be activated in times of crisis?
Would you like to get involved with your local community emergency plan?
To find out more, visit Lincolnshire County Council website.
Community emergency planning is not about leaving you to your own devices until the emergency services arrive; or providing a service to the community instead of an emergency response. It's about enhancing what we are all trying to do in the first place by saving and preserving life. It's about giving people the right information at the right time so they can make choices based on this information.
Community resilience is about communication, talking to each other, being a good neighbour and then sharing this with the emergency services and local authority so the community can recover more quickly from an emergency.
If your would like to be put in touch with your local community team please email Resilient Lincolnshire and if you are a plan owner please don't forget to send in your updated version to Emergency Planning because if we don't know you have one, we can't support you!
Business working for you in times of crisis
Are you a small business owner?
Do you have business continuity plans in place to safeguard your company in times of crisis?
If not, why not? It's easier than you think.
Visit the Business Resilience website to download your free toolkit and start your journey to a more resilient future.