ABSTRACT

Many schools are designated by their county or city council as emergency rest centres. This means that in the event of some local emergency which requires people to be evacuated from their homes the school acts as a centre where evacuees can receive shelter and be looked after. Not only do they need to be temporarily accommodated, they also need to be fed and, if necessary, to be given sleeping accommodation for a short period. Readers may remember the breaking of the sea walls at Towyn in Wales some years ago; the local school acted as an emergency rest centre. Rest centres are not normally expected to operate for more them a couple of days: any longer evacuation would need the council to make alternative arrangements for local residents.