Emergency response Introduction Local authorities are now required to make and keep under review and revise emergency plans for their area and to exercise and arrange for training in accordance with those plans. Our arrangements comply with guidance provided to local authorities by the Cabinet Office and, in particular, with advice in a national document entitled "Emergency Response and Recovery". In addition our emergency plans embrace the advice and guidance included in the London Emergency Services Liaison Panel (LESLP) major incident procedure manual. Visit www.leslp.gov.uk for more information. The borough has, over the years, experienced a number of disasters such as the 1987 hurricane and the Clapham Junction train disaster in 1988. We also deal with smaller, but still significant, incidents on a regular basis (68 in the last year) where our arrangements for dealing with emergencies have been fully tested and utilised. Statutory provisions For those that are interested in reading more about the CCA and Regulations, you can view a copy of the guidance document to the - Emergency Preparedness - on the Government's resilience website (www.ukresilience.gov.uk).
Working with others These issues are addressed by regular consultation and liaison meetings, and by the Council participating in, or organising emergency exercises. Examples of the various liaison groups are as follows:-
How we respond Depending on the scale of the incident, our response can vary from just one Department being involved to all seven departments having an input. The majority of incidents are usually dealt with by the Operational Services section of the Technical Services Department. Operational Services has been at the forefront of our on-site response to civil emergencies for over 20 years. Their role in emergencies is well documented and they have received universal praise from a wide range of external agencies. We consider ourselves fortunate to have such an experienced and dedicated "hands on" team to call on in an emergency. The Operational Services senior management team provide the our Local Authority Liaison Officer (LALO - also sometimes known as "local authority Silver") function at the scene of a major incident. The added advantage of this team acting as LALO is that the staff they are coordinating at the scene are primarily their own employees who they work with on a day to day basis. They know intimately the particular skills and experience of each of the disaster response teams. Should the nature of the incident mean that it is necessary to evacuate the surrounding area, the Housing Department make arrangements for the provision of shelter and practical support in Rest Centers. The Housing Department will liaise to arrange transport for those requiring assistance to the rest centre In the event of a major incident, the Borough Emergency Control Centre (BECC) will be set up in the Town Hall. The BECC is staffed by employees primarily from the Administration and Finance departments of the council. The responsibility for coordinating the Borough's response to a major emergency rests with the Borough Controller (Chief Executive) who, with assistance from the Emergency Planning Officer, is responsible for managing and coordinating the Council's input to the incident including putting in place briefings for the press and media, and for the Government and local Councillors. The Emergency Planning Officer, in conjunction with his principal support staff, works in close liaison with senior representatives from each department to formulate an effective and efficient response to an incident.
Cost of the service This represents the lowest spending level for the past four years (see table below). The slight rise in 2005/06 was as a direct result of the increase in workload due to the Civil Contingencies Act coming into force.
The costs of the emergency response (dealing with incidents, opening rest centres etc) are met by the departments responsible for these duties, primarily the Department of Technical Services and the Housing Department. At the present time it is not possible to identify these costs separately to other departmental costs.
|
