# SANCTUARY READY — OFFLINE PACK V1 **Region:** United Kingdom / Gateshead pilot **Published:** 6 September 2026 **Review before each release:** official UK guidance can change. This pack is designed to remain useful when mobile data, broadband or normal services are disrupted. It is preparedness guidance, not an emergency service. **Official emergency instructions always take precedence.** For immediate danger call **999 or 112**. For urgent medical advice that is not life-threatening, use **NHS 111** when available. --- ## 00 — START HERE 1. **Check immediate danger.** Fire, gas, flood water, damaged structures, traffic, electricity and violence all change what is safe. 2. **Account for people.** Confirm where children, older relatives, neighbours you support and pets are. 3. **Follow official instructions.** UK Emergency Alerts, emergency services, GOV.UK, local authorities, Met Office warnings and utility providers outrank Sanctuary advice. 4. **Protect the essentials.** Water, regular medication, medical devices, light, warmth/cooling, communications and safe food. 5. **Do not create a second emergency.** Avoid unnecessary travel, flood water, damaged utilities and rumours. 6. **Write things down.** Phone numbers, medication, meeting points and radio information should exist on paper as well as on a phone. ### Sanctuary information rule If a claim cannot be traced to a credible source, is stale, or is uncertain, treat it as **unverified**. Do not forward dramatic claims simply because communications are poor. --- ## 01 — HOUSEHOLD EMERGENCY PLAN Prepare before disruption: - Household names, ages and support needs. - Regular medication, allergies and medical-device requirements. - Primary and backup contacts. - One out-of-area contact everyone can use. - Primary meeting point near home and a backup point farther away. - Pets, carriers, leads, food and medication. - Vehicle registration, fuel/charge plan and breakdown details. - Insurance policy numbers and key household documents. - Location of water, gas and electricity shut-offs. - Who may need help nearby. - Where the torch, radio, first-aid kit, power banks and grab bag are stored. Keep a printed copy with important documents and a digital copy on more than one device. --- ## 02 — CORE HOUSEHOLD SUPPLIES Build gradually rather than panic-buying. ### Useful baseline - Battery or wind-up torch; spare batteries. - Battery or wind-up radio. - Charged power banks and device cables. - First-aid kit. - Regular medication and paper instructions for essential medical equipment. - Hand sanitiser and wet wipes. - Bottled water. - Ready-to-eat non-perishable food and a manual tin opener. - Baby supplies where needed; ready-to-feed formula is useful where safe boiling/sterilising cannot be guaranteed. - Pet food and water. - Warm layers, blankets and waterproof clothing. - Copies of key contacts and documents. UK Government Prepare notes that **2.5–3 litres of drinking water per person per day** is a survival minimum referenced from WHO guidance; around **10 litres per person per day** is more comfortable when basic cooking and hygiene are included. Individual medical, baby and pet needs may increase this. --- ## 03 — WATER & SUPPLY OUTAGE ### Before - Keep sealed bottled water at home. - Know your water supplier and whether anyone qualifies for a Priority Services Register. - Plan extra water for babies, pets and medical devices. - Keep a few no-water hygiene options. ### During - Check the water provider’s official outage information. - Prioritise safe water for drinking, hand hygiene, food preparation and baby formula. - Follow any **boil-water**, **do-not-drink** or **do-not-use** notice exactly. - Do not assume collected rainwater or flood water is safe to drink. - If supply returns discoloured, unusual in smell/taste, or the provider issues restrictions, follow the provider’s instructions before normal use. **Northumbrian Water emergency leakline when a leak stops supply:** 0800 393 084. --- ## 04 — FOOD, COOKING & SUPPLY DISRUPTION ### Plan for food that works without mains power - Ready-to-eat tins, pouches and shelf-stable foods. - Foods the household will genuinely eat. - Manual tin opener. - Baby and pet requirements. - Rotate stock into normal meals so nothing becomes forgotten emergency waste. ### Power-cut food safety Food Standards Agency guidance says a fridge normally stays cold for **up to about 4 hours** if the door stays closed. A full freezer can remain frozen for **up to about 48 hours**, or **24 hours if half full**; these are estimates and conditions vary. - Keep fridge and freezer doors closed as much as possible. - When in doubt about food safety, use current Food Standards Agency guidance rather than taste-testing questionable food. - After flooding, discard food that has contacted flood water. ### Sanctuary principle The resilience system should connect with **What’s in My Fridge?** so households can use existing food first and reduce waste before buying more. --- ## 05 — POWER, LIGHTING & CHARGING ### Prepare - Torch + spare batteries; torches are safer than candles. - Power banks kept charged. - Battery/wind-up radio. - Backup battery plan for critical medical equipment where applicable. - Paper copy of **105** — the power-cut number for England, Scotland and Wales. - Know your electricity **load block letter** in case scheduled emergency power cuts are ever used. ### During - Conserve phone battery; avoid using the phone torch unless needed. - Unplug sensitive equipment if supply is unstable, where safe and appropriate. - Use one or two devices as information hubs instead of charging everything. - Remember that home broadband, some mobile masts, boilers, gas appliances with electronic controls and sometimes water services may also be affected. - Never run generators, barbecues or other fuel-burning appliances indoors or in enclosed spaces. --- ## 06 — COMMUNICATIONS & INFORMATION ### Household layers 1. Normal mobile messaging / calls. 2. SMS or low-bandwidth communication if data is poor. 3. Out-of-area contact. 4. Agreed meeting point if communications fail. 5. Battery/wind-up radio and official broadcasts. 6. Paper contact card and paper plan. 7. Offline maps saved before an emergency. ### Emergency calls If you need emergency help, try **999 or 112**. Emergency calls may be able to use another available mobile network even when your normal provider is affected. ### Radio Sanctuary can provide guidance for **lawful PMR446** use and simple household/community message procedures. It must not imply emergency-service capability or guaranteed range. ### Future Sanctuary Nearby The longer-term concept remains: **Cloud → local Sanctuary Node → nearby low-bandwidth link → USB/offline pack → paper.** This is research and community resilience infrastructure, not a replacement for 999, emergency services or licensed critical communications. --- ## 07 — FIRST AID & MEDICAL NEEDS ### Get the right level of help - **999 / 112:** life-threatening emergency, severe breathing difficulty, major bleeding, unconsciousness, choking, seizure with serious concerns, severe injury or similar immediate danger. - **NHS 111:** urgent advice when it is not life-threatening or you are unsure what service is appropriate. ### Unresponsive person - Check the scene is safe. - If the person is unresponsive and **not breathing normally**, call 999/112 if possible and start CPR. Put the phone on speaker and follow the call handler. - For an adult, hands-only CPR is performed in the centre of the chest at **100–120 compressions per minute**, approximately **5–6 cm** deep, allowing the chest to recoil. Use an AED as soon as available and follow its prompts. - If a person is unconscious but breathing normally and there is no overriding reason not to move them, the NHS recovery position helps keep the airway open. Monitor breathing until help arrives. ### Burns For a burn or scald, NHS guidance is to cool the area with cool running water for **20 minutes** as soon as possible. Do not use ice, butter, oils or creams on the fresh burn. Seek appropriate medical help for severe, large, deep, chemical, electrical or sensitive-area burns. ### Children Child and baby CPR differs from adult CPR. Keep the current NHS child-resuscitation guidance in this pack and strongly consider a first-aid course if you care for children. ### Medication continuity - Keep an up-to-date medication list with doses and prescribing information. - Do not ration prescription medication without clinical advice unless no alternative exists and a clinician/official service has advised you. - Plan batteries, water or power for essential medical devices. --- ## 08 — HYGIENE & SANITATION During water or power disruption: - Reserve safe water for drinking, food preparation and essential hand hygiene. - Use hand sanitiser and wipes as a temporary supplement, not a universal substitute for washing. - Keep food preparation separate from waste and contaminated items. - Treat flood water as contaminated. - Bag contaminated clothing/items where advised and keep them away from clean living areas. - Follow water-company and local-authority instructions for toilets, sewer problems and waste. --- ## 09 — SHELTER & STAY-AT-HOME A safer room depends on the hazard. ### General setup Keep together: - Water. - Medication. - Torch and radio. - Power bank. - Warm layers or cooling items. - First aid. - Paper contacts. - Pet essentials. ### Important distinction For normal heat or indoor-air management, ventilation may help. For a **radiation emergency**, official guidance may tell you to close doors, windows and vents and turn off fans/air-conditioning. Always follow hazard-specific official advice rather than applying one rule to every emergency. --- ## 10 — EVACUATION & GRAB BAG Evacuate when authorities advise it, or when remaining in the building is immediately unsafe. ### If you have time and it is safe Take: - Medication and essential medical-device equipment. - Phone, charger and power bank. - Water and ready-to-eat food. - Warm/waterproof clothing. - Important documents or protected copies. - Keys and necessary payment method. - Child/baby essentials. - Pet lead/carrier, food and medication. - Household plan and contact card. ### Do not delay escape from fire For a building fire, **leave immediately and call 999**. Do not collect a grab bag if doing so delays escape. ### Radiological emergency Do **not** self-evacuate simply because you fear fallout. UKHSA guidance says leaving shelter can increase exposure. **Go in, stay in, tune in** and evacuate only if official advice for your area tells you to do so. --- ## 11 — FLOODING ### If flooding is expected - Monitor official flood warnings. - Move people, pets, vehicles and important items to safer/higher locations when appropriate. - Turn off gas, electricity and water **only if it is safe to do so**. Never touch electrical switches while standing in water. - Use property flood-protection products if already available. - Follow council and emergency-service advice. ### Never - Walk through flood water unless there is no safer option and emergency advice requires it. - Drive through flood water. Depth, flow, missing covers, debris and road damage may be hidden. ### After - Wait for confirmation it is safe to return. - Do not turn utilities back on until they are safe. - Photograph damage before clearing where practical. - Treat flood-contact food as unsafe. **Floodline:** 0345 988 1188. --- ## 12 — STORMS, WIND, SNOW & SEVERE WEATHER Met Office warnings are impact-based. Read the detail, not just the colour. ### Before - Secure loose outdoor items. - Charge phones and power banks. - Check torches, radio, medication and heating/cooling backup. - Reconsider travel. - Check on vulnerable household members or neighbours. ### During - Stay away from damaged trees, structures, power lines and flood water. - Avoid exposed travel when official advice says conditions are dangerous. - Expect transport, power, mobile and supply disruption to overlap. --- ## 13 — EXTREME HEAT - Drink regularly; do not wait until severe thirst. - Reduce strenuous activity during the hottest part of the day. - Use shade, curtains/blinds and the cooler parts of the home. - Ventilate when outdoor conditions are cooler and it is safe. - Check babies, children, older people, people with chronic illness and anyone living alone. - Never leave children or pets in a parked vehicle. Heat exhaustion can progress to heatstroke. Severe confusion, collapse, very high temperature or other serious deterioration needs urgent medical help. --- ## 14 — EXTREME COLD - Keep warm and dry; use layers of clothing and bedding. - If heating is limited, prioritise one safe living area. - Keep food, drink, medication and communications within easy reach. - Check vulnerable people when safe to do so. - Prepare for frozen pipes, transport delays and power cuts. - Never use barbecues, camping stoves or unflued fuel-burning appliances indoors for heat. --- ## 15 — FIRE, SMOKE & POOR AIR ### Building fire - Get out. - Stay out. - Call 999. - Do not stop for possessions. ### Outdoor smoke / poor air - Follow official local health and emergency guidance. - Keep vulnerable people away from heavy smoke exposure where possible. - If advised to remain indoors, close relevant openings and reduce sources of indoor pollution. - If breathing becomes seriously difficult, seek emergency help. --- ## 16 — MAJOR EMERGENCY & RADIOLOGICAL UKHSA’s core public advice for a radiation emergency is: ### GO IN Go indoors as soon as you can. Close doors and windows and stay as far from external walls as practical. ### STAY IN Staying indoors reduces exposure. Turn off fans and air conditioning and close external vents where possible if official radiation guidance applies. ### TUNE IN Use official news, GOV.UK, police, emergency-service and local-authority information for what to do next. ### Do not self-evacuate You may later be told to evacuate, take stable iodine, or follow food/water restrictions. Do those things **only when authorities advise them for your location**. Do not take iodine supplements or potassium iodide on your own initiative as a radiation treatment. If you were outside and official guidance indicates possible radioactive contamination, removing outer clothing and bagging it away from people can remove much of the contamination; follow current UKHSA self-decontamination instructions. --- ## 17 — CYBER, PHONE, PAYMENT & INFORMATION OUTAGE ### Prepare - Keep important phone numbers on paper. - Save maps and essential documents offline. - Keep more than one lawful way to pay for essentials; avoid storing excessive cash. - Know where official updates come from. ### During - Be cautious with links claiming to be emergency support, refunds, energy help or evacuation instructions. - Do not give passwords, one-time codes or banking credentials because someone claims systems are down. - Prefer official radio, authority websites/apps when available and verified provider messages. - Expect card terminals, ATMs, transport apps and delivery systems to be affected by the same communications outage. --- ## 18 — TRAVEL, VEHICLE & STRANDING ### Vehicle kit - Torch. - In-car charger or power bank. - Water and food. - Warm and waterproof clothing / blankets. - High-visibility clothing. - First-aid kit. - Jump leads where appropriate. - Seasonal items such as a snow shovel when relevant. ### Before travel - Check forecast, warnings, road/rail/operator status and fuel/charge. - Tell someone your route and expected arrival for higher-risk journeys. ### If disrupted - Follow transport staff and emergency-service advice. - Avoid abandoning a safer location for an uncertain route. - Never drive through flood water. --- ## 19 — DOCUMENTS, MONEY & OFFLINE MAPS Keep protected copies of: - Emergency contacts. - Medication and medical-device details. - Insurance policy numbers. - Identification/document references. - Vehicle details. - Key account/provider numbers. - Meeting points. Download local maps before an emergency. A phone may still know its GPS position without mobile data, but map apps often need previously downloaded map tiles. Do not store banking passwords or authentication secrets in an unencrypted plain-text emergency file. --- ## 20 — GATESHEAD LOCAL & COMMUNITY SUPPORT ### Emergency health - **999 / 112** — immediate danger or life-threatening emergency. - **NHS 111** — urgent advice when appropriate. - **Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Gateshead A&E** — 24-hour serious-emergency department. A&E reception: **0191 445 6145**. - Gateshead Health switchboard: **0191 482 0000**. ### Utilities - **Power cut:** 105. - **Northumbrian Water emergency leakline when a leak stops supply:** 0800 393 084. ### Gateshead Council social-care emergencies The **Emergency Duty Team** handles eligible out-of-hours social-care emergencies involving vulnerable children or adults: **0191 477 0844**. Sanctuary community support should help people connect to existing provision, transport, supplies, spare capacity and practical help. It is **supplementary** and must never present itself as an emergency service. --- # OFFLINE COMMS PROCEDURE When networks become unreliable: 1. Send one short factual message rather than repeated large messages. 2. Include **who / where / status / need / time**. 3. Avoid forwarding unverified claims. 4. If no reply, move to the household fallback contact or meeting plan. 5. Preserve phone battery. 6. Use lawful PMR446 only as a local convenience layer; never assume guaranteed coverage. 7. Life-threatening emergencies still go to 999/112 when any network path is available. Example message format: `REECE | HOME | ALL SAFE | POWER OUT | NEED WATER UPDATE | 18:40` --- # HOUSEHOLD CHECK-IN PRIORITY When safe, check: - Children and dependent adults. - People using powered medical equipment. - People who may not receive digital alerts. - Older or isolated neighbours. - Anyone without heating/cooling, water or medication access. Do not enter a hazardous area to perform a welfare check. Pass serious concerns to emergency or appropriate public services. --- # SANCTUARY RISK TIERS - **Tier 0 — Routine:** normal conditions; maintain ordinary readiness. - **Tier 1 — Watch:** one or more risks deserve monitoring. - **Tier 2 — Elevated:** several disruption risks are elevated; refresh plans and supplies. - **Tier 3 — Response:** material UK/local disruption is occurring or likely; activate household plans and follow official instructions. - **Tier 4 — Emergency:** immediate protective action is required; official emergency instructions override Sanctuary guidance. Sanctuary tiers are **contextual planning levels**, not official government warning levels. --- # SOURCE REGISTER — REVIEWED 6 SEPTEMBER 2026 - UK Government Prepare — https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/get-prepared-for-emergencies/ - Prepare: power cuts — https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/be-informed-about-hazards/power-cuts/ - Prepare: water outages — https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/be-informed-about-hazards/water-supply-interruptions-or-outages/ - Prepare: phone/broadband outages — https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/be-informed-about-hazards/phone-broadband-outages/ - Prepare: travel disruption — https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/get-prepared-for-emergencies/travel-advice/ - GOV.UK flooding — https://www.gov.uk/help-during-flood - GOV.UK personal flood plan — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-flood-plan/personal-flood-plan - UKHSA heat — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beat-the-heat-hot-weather-advice/beat-the-heat-staying-safe-in-hot-weather - UKHSA cold — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-warm-and-well-staying-safe-in-cold-weather/top-tips-for-keeping-warm-and-well-this-winter - UKHSA radiation — https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/radiation-emergencies-information-for-the-public/what-to-do-in-a-radiation-emergency - NHS urgent/emergency care — https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/urgent-and-emergency-care-services/find-urgent-and-emergency-care-services/ - NHS recovery position — https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/first-aid/recovery-position/ - NHS burns/scalds — https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/burns-and-scalds/ - NHS child CPR — https://www.nhs.uk/baby/first-aid-and-safety/first-aid/how-to-resuscitate-a-child/ - Food Standards Agency power-cut food safety — https://www.food.gov.uk/safety-hygiene/food-safety-in-a-power-cut - Met Office warnings — https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/warnings-and-advice/uk-warnings - Gateshead Health A&E — https://www.gatesheadhealth.nhs.uk/services/accident-emergency/ - Gateshead Council Emergency Duty Team — https://www.gateshead.gov.uk/article/9330/Emergency-Duty-Team-EDT- - Northumbrian Water — https://www.nwl.co.uk/leaks **End of Sanctuary Ready Offline Pack V1.**