Role-playing helps prepare for floods

ROLE-PLAYING SCENARIOS are to be used to help communicate messages about the dangers of flooding to communities who are most at risk.

The scheme is running in Yorkshire and is being drawn up by officials working with local authorities and the Environment Agency.

Calderdale flood warden Katie Kimber will be involved with the project.

She said: “As flood wardens, we are keen for people to take action to protect themselves – particularly here in the Calder Valley as flooding happens so quickly and with such ferocity, we have very little time and preparation is the key.

“The public need simple and concise communication in order to prepare themselves, jargon-free key information so it becomes second nature to allow people to easily understand their risk and prepare accordingly.

“The flood wardens can then use this resource to communicate to their communities.”

The role-play scheme has been developed by the Yorkshire Integrated Catchment Solutions Programme, in partnership with Leeds Council, York Council, the Environment Agency and the Living with Water Partnership.

The exercises will be used to simulate various scenarios which can occur during flooding.

Other tools will include “how to” guides to help communicate complicated flood processes, a series of online seminars to enable learning from leading academics and practitioners in the field, and “buddy” systems to enable organisations and flood wardens in different locations to learn from each other.

Calderdale has suffered from devastating flooding three times in the past eight years and officials said they are always looking at ways to improve communications during disasters.