Why Emergency Preparedness Education Matters

Elaine Wilkinson

The UK's recent record-breaking temperatures exposed vulnerabilities across critical infrastructure, disrupted essential services and placed additional pressure on emergency responders. While government agencies and the media provided timely advice on staying safe during the heatwave, the experience raises a broader question: why do we continue to invest far more in communicating during emergencies than in preparing the public before they occur? 

The UK has made significant progress in strengthening emergency planning, response and recovery. Guidance on preparing for emergencies is readily available through government and resilience partners. However, information alone does not necessarily lead to preparedness. Building resilience requires more than access to advice—it requires sustained education that develops knowledge, confidence and practical decision-making over time. 

To create a truly resilient society, emergency preparedness education should be recognised as a core component of resilience alongside prevention, response and recovery. Education should be collaborative, evidence-based and empowering rather than fear-inducing. By helping people understand the risks relevant to their communities, preparedness education enables informed decisions before, during and after emergencies. 

Building resilience is a whole-of-society endeavour. It depends on capable institutions working alongside informed and prepared citizens, each with a role to play. The objective is not to create "mini first responders", but to equip individuals with the knowledge, confidence and practical skills to anticipate, adapt and respond appropriately when disruption occurs. 

In this upcoming next wave of heat, simply being educated on knowing how to stay hydrated, the signs of heat exhaustion, water safety and checking in on vulnerable community members are easy first steps that all of us could take. Over time, relevant education like this could reduce avoidable demand on emergency services, strengthen community resilience and support faster recovery following an incident. 

There is a need to address this gap by creating opportunities for emergency preparedness education that are accessible, inclusive and equitable across all ages and communities. However, achieving this will require strategic government leadership, sustained investment and cross-sector collaboration. 

The ambition set out in the UK's resilience agenda cannot be realised through professional capability alone; it must also be reflected in the capability of the public.Recognising preparedness education as a fundamental component of national resilience would represent an important step towards developing a society that is not only better informed, but better equipped to anticipate, withstand and recover from future disruptions.