Parish Councils in Devon are encouraged by Devon County Council, (and in East Devon, the District Council) to write simple self help emergency plans to enable the parish to support itself during an emergency.
There are currently no specific legal requirements for parishes to undertake emergency planning, however, S. 137 of the Local Government Act 1972 gives parish councils the power to do anything that will benefit the community (or part of it) where there is no other specific power covering the action.