What does the Council do during a major emergency?

The Council’s role is to ensure that, together with partners, we can respond effectively to emergencies that affect residents, businesses, visitors and/or the environment within the Borough.

This involves working closely with the emergency services and other agencies to identify the needs of the community and putting in place appropriate provision to meet this need. This can include providing temporary ‘rest centres’ for people displaced by the incident, debris clearance or co-ordinating the on-going response. The Council takes its responsibilities very seriously and has in place a range of emergency plans that are regularly tested and reviewed.

The Corporate Emergency Plan sets out the framework that the Council will use to co-ordinate its response to the impact of major emergencies. It sets out what actions the Council will take and how, including the command, control and communications structures.

The Community Risk Register identifies and prioritises local risks, taking into account probability and impact and is used to inform the emergency planning process.

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 ensures a co-ordinated response across agencies at local, regional and national level.