Selkirk Response Team
Following a presentation by Kevin Sewell from SBC Emergency Planning it was agreed at the April 2016 meeting that Graham Easton and Alistair Pattullo look into the potential development and delivery of a local Resilient Communities plan.
We are in the process of forming a group of volunteers who are prepared to respond effectively to deal with local issues under the guidance and support of Scottish Borders Council's Resilient Communities Plan.
We aim to be prepared and trained to deal with events such as:
a) Clearing snow from pathways and community facilities
b) Placing sandbags and domestic floodgates in risk areas to prevent flooding
c) Delivering food and medical supplies during severe weather
Provide hot meals and assistance within local community venues
d) Provide information to the community in an emergency situation
e) Using volunteers for litter picks and other community projects
Among the benefits of being a Resilient Community include:
a) First Aid and general training
b) Early warning of severe weather or other relevant information
c) Single point of contact for co-ordinators
d) Equipment provision
e) The ability to aid recovery and restore normality after an incident
f) Have locally trained co-ordinators
g) Having a local response group of volunteers
h) Having a local resilience plan
I)The ability to train and exercise volunteers
j) Insurance
At this early stage of planning we are looking for volunteer co-ordinators to cover all areas of the town, they will also be responsible for recruiting their own small team of volunteers.
In addition it is our intention to sign up to Scottish Borders Alert (SBAlert) Community Messaging System. This is a secure, two-way community messaging system that allows authorised administrators to send dynamic and up-to-date messages to resilient Communities Groups, Neighbourhood Watches and other interested members of the community. The system is designed to put us in touch with people and services that matter to the community of Selkirk.
The team are planning to host an open evening sometime in May for the benefit of all interested parties and to take the next steps in developing this exciting project.
Find out more by going to our Selkirk Response Team Facebook page: