Emergencies
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Emergency planning
Preston is a safe place to live, work and study. However, it is important to recognise emergencies can occur at any time. The key to cope and sort these emergencies is to be ready for them so you know what to do and who to contact if an emergency occurs.
In the case of an emergency once it has been reported the Police will initiate the emergency response arrangements. Then other non emergency agencies including the council will be contacted if they are required.
In the case of an evacuation, the council has identified a number of buildings that can be used as rest centres for people who may have nowhere else to go. We carry out regular exercises to ensure that our staff working at these centres are fully trained and that the centres themselves can be brought into use quickly and easily.
You can also download our Preparing for emergencies in Lancashire (PDF) [4MB] booklet.
Emergency contacts
If something is an emergency and requires an immediate response then contact the emergency services on 999.
Emergency services
999 - is the number to contact if you require an immediate response.
999 Emergency SMS Service
If you are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired you can register for the 999 Emergency SMS Service that allows you to text the police in an emergency from your mobile phone.
This service works throughout the UK on all mobile networks, but it cannot be used from abroad.
You have to be registered to use this SMS service. Simply text 'register' from your mobile phone to 999 and follow the instructions.
Report a crime or concern when it is not an emergency
If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired you can contact Lancashire Constabulary to report a crime or concern through the online BSL video interpreting service, SignLive, instead of calling 101.
It's not for use in emergencies, in these cases please use the text service above. But it is for when you have something you want to talk about.
To use the service you need to sign-up through the app or using the Signlive website. When you call Lancashire Constabulary your call will be received by the force control room and a SignLive interpreter will relay your issues to the control room operator on your behalf.
When you sign-up for SignLive you'll also be given a personal extension number which enables the control room to reply back through the SignLive operator.
Preston emergency contacts
The following number are available 24 hours a day 7 days a week, you can also follow them on twitter for updates.
- Lancashire Police
- Tel: 101 - directed straight to your local police communications room
- X - LancsPolice
- Home Office - MI5 Security Service
- Lancashire Fire and Rescue
- NHS - When to use NHS 111
- Tel: 111
- X - NHS111
- Royal Preston Hospital
- Chorley and District Hospital
- United Utilities - Water for the North West
- Tel: 0845 746 2200 / 01925 714810 (or textphone 0808 1430295)
- X - United Utilities
- X - Electricity North West
- Tel: 0800 195 4141 (or textphone 0800 458 9767)
- X - UnitedUtilities
- National Grid - Gas Transmission
- GOV.UK - Environment Agency
- Floodline
- Tel: 0845 988 1188 (type talk 0845 602 6340)
- Health and Safety executive
- Tel: 01772 836200
- Remember to tune into BBC Radio - Lancashire 103.9, 15.5, 104.5 FM
- Check the GOV.UK - Local Resilience Forums and the GOV.UK - National Security and Intelligence for more advice on what to do in an emergency
- The Met Office provide regular updated on weather and climate news
The councils emergency contact details
The out of hours service number is 01772 906916.
Calls to this number received from the public will be logged but will not necessarily initiate an emergency response.
This number should only be used to log council based emergencies, for example:
- Environmental health issues
- Dangerous buildings
- Preston City Council property issues