The BBC has revealed it has ‘Black Sky event’ plans in place which dictates what the national broadcaster will do in case of a full-scale UK emergency in which communications including the internet are shut off for three days or more.
Only an estimated 100 people in the world know the full details of the BBC’s Black Sky plans, which include running a special emergency broadcast radio studio.
The emergency broadcasting service will have secure lines of communication which are not dependent on internet connections and will have enough water, food and fuel to allow it to operate for three days without any further supplies.
The emergency radio will broadcast what households should do in that situation, including how much water people should be drinking and even what to do if water supplies are so disrupted that toilets won’t flush.
The BBC revealed in a report: “The BBC’s broadcasts will be sent via radio transmission towers, isolated from the internet and equipped with tanks of between five and 40,000 litres (8,800 gallons) of diesel to keep their generators going for three days – FM radio is power hungry.
“The teams will be using satellite phones to keep in touch and if these stop working there are pre-agreed protocols and meet-up points.
“Why FM? Because it works almost everywhere, even in a blackout or a crippling cyber-attack.”
The plans being made public came after repeated calls from government officials, including Prime Minister Andy Burnham, for the UK to be more prepared for national emergencies such as power cuts, internet and phone blackouts and disruption to food, water or fuel supplies.
Households should stockpile at least three days of food and drinking water, according to government advice, and have a battery powered FM radio at home to receive broadcasts such as the BBC’s emergency Black Sky event radio station.
Under a new Government “be ready” campaign, households are being urged to be prepared if everyday services are temporarily disrupted with three days of key supplies.
The checklist released advises stocking up with three days’ worth of bottled water and non-perishable food, a battery or wind-up FM radio to receive updates during outages and cash in case electronic payments or cash machines are disrupted.
According to BBC Newsnight, the Iceland supermarket chain saw a 40% increase in sales of tinned products over the weekend.
The programme also reported Robert Dyas had a 160% increase in sales of radios compared with the previous week.
The Government advice marks the first stage of a three-year campaign which aims to make households feel better prepared for disruptive events, such as severe weather, and comes in the wake of heatwaves, drought and fires that hit the UK during the summer.
Households are being urged to stockpile items (Image: Getty)
The steps advised include checking you have essentials such as three days’ worth of food and water as well as checking eligibility and signing up for the priority services register for specific support during outages.
A spokesperson for Iceland told BBC Newsnight: “It’s clear consumers have listened to the Government’s message as we have seen a 40% increase in sales of tinned products over the weekend and strong sales of bottled water too.
“Our supplies of these products remain healthy.”
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting told the programme: “It’s encouraging that people are taking practical steps to be ready.
“Having a few everyday essentials at home, from tinned food to torches, helps households prepare for disruption, whether that’s flooding, power cuts or burst pipes.
“We can all play our part in making Britain more resilient.”
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