What is resilience?
Although the Scottish Borders is a relatively safe and stable place to live, we rely on utilities, such as power, water and the internet. When these are not available, this can make us vulnerable.
Using the advice in the following pages, you can learn how quick and easy it is to be better prepared to face a range of emergencies.
These basic steps will help you take care of yourself and your loved ones.
What is resilience?
The Scottish Government defines resilience as communities and individuals using their own resources and knowledge to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies - working alongside the emergency responders.
Recent severe weather and other incidents have shown that even traditional responders such as local authorities, emergency services, and community groups can be affected during a crisis. This makes personal and household resilience essential, helping people cope by themselves until support arrives or the situation improves.
We all have a role to play
Across the Scottish Borders we all have a role to play in increasing resilience at individual, household, family, and community levels.
Think of resilience as a ladder with several rungs:
Individuals
The first rung is personal resilience. This means having the basic skills, knowledge, and supplies to manage on your own for a period of time during an emergency.
Households and families
The next rung is the people you live with. By combining skills and planning together, households can become more resilient. Friends and extended family networks can also support one another when needed.
Communities
Above that is resilient communities. When individuals, households, and families work together, they create stronger neighbourhoods, able to support vulnerable people, share resources, and support the work of ourselves and other emergency responders.
Ready Scotland
Ready Scotland is the public information website for Safer Scotland, part of the Scottish Government.
Its aim is simple - to help make Scotland more resilient to emergencies.
On the website you’ll find:
- practical tips to prepare your home, family, and business for unexpected events
- guidance on how to respond safely when emergencies happen
- advice on how to support others in your community during difficult times