National Emergency Plan
There was a lot of fuss on the meeja yesterday about the new Emergency Planning Handbook.
I mentioned it on Saturday, and I was a bit cynical. Sorry about that.
I was very interested to hear Willie O’Dea talking about the iodine tablets that weren’t distributed to every house in the country. Apparently those of us who received them should throw them away.
This is very clever thinking, because we all know that our sewage and landfill waste all end up in the drinking water supply anyway, so O’Dea’s suggestion means that we can all ingest the iodine, whether we had the tablets or not. Clever.
I went through the Emergency plan and it really is an eye opener. I’m glad I read it.
For the thousands of you who won’t receive the booklet, I will give a brief synopsis.
- Flooding: Dial 999 [or 112] and inform the Emergency Services.
- Hazardous Chemical Spills: Dial 999 [or 112] and inform the Emergency Services.
- Accidents at sea: Dial 999 [or 112] and inform the Emergency Services.
- Fire: Dial 999 [or 112] and inform the Emergency Services.
- Explosions and Suspicious Packages: Dial 999 [or 112] and inform the Emergency Services.
- Nuclear Incidents: Don’t dial 999 [or 112] or inform the Emergency Services.
- Pandemic Influenza: You’re on your own.
It doesn’t mention earthquakes, tornados or Daniel O’Donnell escaping and running amok, but you can’t have everything.
I’m really glad I read the document. It has put my mind at rest.
It is really worth every cent of the €2,000,000 that it cost.
For those of you who want more information, they give their website as emergencyplanning.ie.
If that doesn’t work, I suggest you dial 999 [or 112] and inform the Emergency Services.
You make me laugh with your political punditry.
Is it wrong that I already ate my iodine tablet?
We got a BUKE like that years ago, I think I posted it to the Emergency Services! I thought it might help them when answering all the calls.
Darren – Those tablets are dangerous. I suggest you dial 999 [or 112] and inform the Emergency Services.
Grannymar – Good thinking!
Of course if there was a real emergency, all the staff of Emergency Services would be dead and you’d be put onto voicemail.
You know they left loads out:
http://www.jazzbiscuit.com/2008/04/14/emergency-planning-for-ireland-revealed/
http://greeninkpen.blogspot.com/2008/04/oh-jesus-sky-is-falling.html
Nick – That’s assuming you don’t get lost pressing all those numbers to get the right service.
Green – I’m aware of that. For example they don’t have a plan for “Grandad Discovered Smoking his Pipe in his Local Pub”.
We haven’t got ours yet.
Then again I doubt we will either. As far as I coud tell from talking to the lads, we were the only house that didn’t get the iodine tablets or that millenium candle thing. Yet for some reason we get post that is meant for others.
We did get one of those trees that the government gave everyone. Remember them? Except ours is somewhere in Donegal! As if I’m going to drive all the way up there to see my tree. It’s probably been chopped down now anyway.
Grandad,
I think you have only read half of the book – now turn to the back cover, turn it upside down and read it as Gaeilge. I bet they are being told different things than immigrants like myself, I bet they have a list of shelters and emergency treatment stations.
Robert – I haven’t received mine either, and I don’t expect to. The only thing I ever received was the millennium candle [I think?] so obviously, they only post these things to me once every thousand years.
Ian – I can only read it on-line. I tried turning the screen upside down but it didn’t turn into Irish. I wonder what the Chinese, Polish and Russian versions say? “Welcome home!”?
I was going to call 112 when the link didn’t work, but I calmed myself down and tried it with a www at the start and then it worked.
I called 112 to let them know.
Grandad,
I know it is not a politically correct thing to say, but I suspect most Irish speakers speak perfectly good English, probably better than many Eastern Europeans. If the booklet was a serious attempt to communicate, the pages devoted to Irish might have been used for material at least in Polish and Chinese. Of course, given parity of esteem, it should also be published in Ulster Scots!
What are you to do if there is a massive infrastructure failure? Ya’ know like if a disgruntled tech in Dublin turns a server off and the phones no longer work. Panic?
“..a massive infrastructure failure..” – what, like the M50 or the port tunnel not working?
Quick, to the bat phone!
If Brian’s scenario ever crops up then we will just have ro revert back to using pigeons.
Hmmm…we obviously don’t have emergencies in Cavan – but at least next time I see a loose cow on the road I’ll know to diall 999 or 112.
‘Tis not a very good number tho, is it, 112…what if you’re having an emergency and get a bit befuddled and dial 122 by mistake?
. _ .
No disaster plan for us today either, but after your post my wife says she now knows what to do the next time I suffer a bout of guinness flatulence.
Lol! Thanks for posting, as an ex-pat I’d certainly never get the booklet.
Great blog, it lifts my spirits.
I have been away from my PC all day. I have been waiting at the gate for the postman. He never came this morning so I spent the day hoping he had been delayed [Peggy down the road could have been feeling randy again].
No postman.
No booklet.
God help me if there’s an emergency……
Amazing how we still rely on the good old postman.
Who do we call again?
If attacked by Satanists, dial 666.
All this talk of the emergency numbers 999/112 reminds me of the time my mother fainted on morning. My father heard the thud as she fell against the frontdoor. He hoped (lumbered probably) out of bed and went to her. She had banged her head pretty bad and had broken her nose.
Typical of her, she insisted that she was fine.
My father wasn’t having any of it. She needed an ambulance. He took command of the situation, told to stay lying down and he went to the phone and promptly dialled 911!
if you get the booklet you’ll see how nice and pretty it is!and sure isn’t that something to compensate for the complete lack of information …apart of course 112 and999
Well, our booklet just arrived in work. I’m going to make sure all the employees read it and study it well. It will be placed in a prominent position and may be incorporated into our company handbook (if we had one).
I know it’s a pretty bit of printing, and I’m sure it’s very glossy – I can see that from the web. But I can’t hang my PC on the wall in case of emergencies? 🙁