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  • Breadcrumb

    1. Home
    2. Government, citizens and rights
    3. Living in Northern Ireland
    4. Emergencies and major incidents
    5. Be ready for emergencies

    Emergency situations

    There are many emergency situations that you may come across. Find out more information at the links below. This page cannot cover all eventualities.

    Fire

    Information on fire and fire safety:

    • Fire safety and prevention
    • Recovering from a fire

    Chemical incidents

    • Chemical safety in the home

    Biological and nuclear incidents

    Information is available if there happens to be biological or nuclear incidents that occur at civil sights such as a nuclear power station.

    • Civil nuclear events

    ​Public health emergencies

    • Public health emergencies

    Animal diseases

    • Animal diseases

    Acts of terrorism

    If you witness an act of terrorism either at home or abroad there are three basic steps that you should follow:

    RUN - to a place of safety. This is better than trying to surrender or negotiate.

    HIDE - it is better to hide than confront. Barricade yourself in, turn your phone to silent and use only when it's safe to do so.

    TELL - Alert police. Make sure you know the local emergency number - in the UK it’s 999, for EU countries it’s 112.

    Further advice on staying safe during an act of terrorism is available from both the PSNI website and through a video produced by the National Police Chief's Council.

     

    Emergencies involving the supply of utilities

    Who to contact if there is an emergency involving the supply of water, gas or electricity:

    • Energy, power supply and utilities
    • Report polluted land and water

    Emergency at sea

    If you find yourself in an emergency situation or spot someone else in trouble at sea, phone 999 or 112 and ask for the coastguard.

     

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    Be ready for emergencies

    • Be ready as a community
    • Care registers
    • Emergency situations
    • Flooding
    • Household emergency kit
    • Major incidents affecting business
    • Personal safety

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    What to do next

    Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

    If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

    Carer's Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912
    Email 
    dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

    Call 0800 587 2750 
    Email 
    customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

    Disability Living Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912 
    Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Employment and Support Allowance

    Call 0800 587 1377

    Jobseeker’s Allowance

    Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

    Personal Independence Payment

    Call 0800 587 0932

    If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

    For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

    For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

    For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

    If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

    • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
    • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

    For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

    Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

    For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

    For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

    For queries about your GRONI account, email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about:

    • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
      contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
       
    • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
      contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

     

    For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

    For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

    If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

    If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

    For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

    For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

    If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

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