"It might never happen - but are you ready if it does?"

Your job is all about preparing for emergencies. Isn’t that a bit scary?

Not at all. Preparation is not about scaring people; it’s about empowering them. Little things can make a big difference in an emergency. It could be something as simple as having a wind-up torch or a battery-powered radio in a power cut.

How does your work help to keep people safe?

In my team, we look after event planning for big local events like Diwali and the Caribbean carnival, as well as all the big sporting fixtures at King Power, the Tigers and the cricket. 

I also do lots of emergency planning; that means being prepared to deal with anything from a suspected bomb or a major traffic incident to a public protest.

My role is to make sure the police and the multi-agency partners of the Local Resilience Forum (LRF) are ready for whatever comes their way, by planning for major incidents, overseeing exercises, reworking emergency plans and sharing learning.

How can communities help to protect themselves?

Community resilience is so important.

Resilience is everyone’s business and, the more we talk about it, the more prepared we will become. It’s important people don’t just rely on the emergency services; they need to be as prepared as they can for a possible emergency.

It may never happen but are you prepared if it does? For instance, if there’s a big power outage, how will you manage without your TV, mobile phone and internet? Do you have wipes if there’s no water?

Have you got a grab bag? Have you got an emergency plan for your family or business? How are you going to contact vulnerable relatives? 

These are all things to consider.

How important is a partnership approach to resilience?

The LRF is made up of people who care about communities and are trying to solve problems together.

We’re good at what we do but it’s vital to keep learning and make sure we’re all on the same page – and that all the right people get the right information at the right time in an incident.

I work with lots of partners, including fire, ambulance and counter terrorism teams, to make sure all our emergency plans work together and that the people of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland get the emergency response they need, when it matters most.

Do you have any other emergency advice for people?

Don’t believe everything you read on social media! 

Misinformation on social media can create all sorts of additional problems in an incident by starting rumours and creating panic - so always get your information from trusted sources and websites like the LRF, the police, other emergency services or public organisations.

Has your job changed how you think about resilience at home?

Yes – when I first started this job in 2023, I laughed when people told me they had cupboards of emergency supplies at home. Now I have my own cupboard and I even message my family to tell them what supplies they need!

You’ll never regret being prepared.