Halwill Parish Community Emergency Plan (CEP) was launched at the Winsford Centre last month.

The plan offers immediate contact to support people caught in difficult circumstances, such as severe weather, forest fire, loss of power or a flu pandemic.

It also offers immediate assistance to the emergency services in terms of the location of support systems and venues best placed to deal with emergency care.

Members from the emergency services, local businesses and officials from local councils, including Devon County Council, all attended the launch.

All households in Halwill Junction also received leaflets on what to do and who to contact in case of an emergency.

Devon County Councillor Barry Parsons, who brought the idea forward, said: I suggested the idea to the parish council because I was concerned things were happening in the towns, but not in rural villages.

When there is a problem, the rural areas get missed and from my perspective as a rural councillor, when emergency situations arrive, like the snow last year, invariably its the people in rural communities who are isolated and often suffer the most.

Chairman of Halwill Parish Council Barry Richards expressed thanks and congratulated the team of CEP workers for all they do.

At the launch, Det Insp Sean Kenneally emphasised the importance of the CEP document in helping the police to locate people and resources, to deal with difficulties promptly and efficiently.