Proposal aims to deliver Emergency Handbook to every home in Leitrim

A call is being made for a Household Emergency Handbook to be printed and delivered to every household in County Leitrim.

Ballinamore councillor Gary Prior will bring a motion to Monday’s meeting of Leitrim County Council, proposing the development of a “Personal and Community Resilience” Household Emergency Handbook.

“I am bringing forward this motion to the Council as we are seeing more frequent and more severe weather events across County Leitrim,” said Cllr Prior. 

“Storms, flooding, fallen trees, and prolonged power outages that impact homes, farms, vulnerable people, and entire communities.

“While I acknowledge the Council’s work under the Emergency Response Coordination, what’s missing is a clear, accessible resource for households, something people can turn to in a moment of crisis,” he added.

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Similar initiatives have already been adopted in other counties. County Monaghan, for example, recently distributed a Personal and Community Resilience Booklet to every household, in both English and Irish. 

This was accompanied by a Message in a Bottle and a magnet listing emergency contacts, Eircodes, and defibrillator locations. 

They also established local emergency response hubs during power outages and coordinated efforts with community responders.

Cllr Prior, who was recently elected Leas Cathaoirleach of Leitrim County Council, described the proposal as “practical, affordable and giving peace of mind.”

He wants the Leitrim Household Emergency Handbook to include local emergency contact numbers, information on first responder groups, a map of defibrillator locations, preparation checklists, safety tips, details of local support services, a dedicated helpline number, and clear, practical guidance on how to respond to storms, power cuts, and flooding.

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He is also calling for the handbook to be made available both in print and digital formats, in Irish as well as English.

Furthermore, Cllr Prior says that Emergency Community Hubs must be established in high-risk, remote areas of Leitrim, working closely with local community volunteers and services.

“This is not just about crisis response,” he said. “It’s about building resilience in a changing climate.”