At the very beginning of an emergency, communities may have to cope on their own until help arrives. Community resilience is about communities using local resources and knowledge during an emergency, both before emergency services are on the scene and working alongside them once they arrive. It involves identifying and planning for things that could happen during an emergency so communities can help themselves.

The Cornwall Community Resilience Network helps communities to be prepared to respond to an emergency, like flooding, heavy snowfall or a major fire.