Agenda item

To receive a presentation regarding emergency planning procedures within Worcestershire.

(Report attached)

The Emergency Planning Officer from Worcestershire County Council delivered a presentation for the consideration of all Members.

The Committee was informed that the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 provided the legislative framework for emergency planning in England and Wales.  This legislation had been introduced following the fuel dispute in 2000, the flooding of 2000 and the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001. The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 comprised of two substantive parts.  The first part related to roles and responsibilities for local providers, including local authorities.  The second part was focused on emergency planning powers and the legislative measures that might be required from central government in such emergencies. 

The Emergency Planning Officer explained that there were two categories of status for bodies that were involved in responding to emergencies.  Category One responders were organisations at the core of an emergency response which included: local authorities; emergency services; the Health Protection Agency; the Environment Agency; and the local Primary Care Trust (PCT).  Category Two responders were bodies that might be required to take some action in response to the emergency though they would not necessarily be involved in planning the response.  Category Two responders included bodies such as utilities companies.

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 placed a number of statutory duties on Category One responders.  Organisations within this category were required to: assess local risks; develop a local risk register; and agree emergency plans.  As part of this process local authorities were obliged to ensure business continuity.  This included business continuity in the delivery of statutory Council services.   

The Committee discussed local arrangements for responding to emergencies.  They noted that the Local Resilience Forum which applied to Redditch involved Category One responders based in Herefordshire, Shropshire and Worcestershire.  Members expressed concerns that operating in such a wide geographic area could create barriers to efficient emergency planning.  Officers explained that Local Resilience Forum areas were organised in accordance with the areas covered by local police forces.  West Mercia Police, which operated in Redditch, were based in each of these three Counties and therefore the geographical spread for this Local Resilience Forum could not be altered. 

The Committee also noted that the Worcestershire Joint Scrutiny into Flooding Task and Finish Group had concluded that problems with communications had negatively impacted on responses to the floods in July 2007.  Worcestershire County Council had worked to address these problems by purchasing a new generator which could be used by the Emergency Response Centre in the event of a power failure during an emergency.  The Council had also entered into discussions with West Mercia Police concerning the possible use of police radio coverage in the event of an emergency. 

Members discussed the differences between Gold, Silver and Bronze organisations during an emergency.  Officers explained that Gold responders were organisations which were involved at the strategic level in co-ordinating responses to an emergency.  Silver responders were organisations which were involved in planning responses at the tactical level.  Finally, Bronze responders were organisations that provided front line responses to emergencies. 

Officers confirmed that they were in the process of updating the Council’s Emergency Plan.  The contents of this document would be reported for the consideration of the Executive Committee in due course as this was the Committee which had been designated with responsibility for co-ordinating the Council’s emergency planning measures.

Members discussed emergency planning arrangements and noted that a number of emergency services and utilities companies organised annual emergency planning exercises.  They suggested that it might be useful to implement a similar measure at Redditch Borough Council and that this should be considered in further detail by the Executive Committee.

The Emergency Planning Officer informed Members that following the floods in 2007 Worcestershire County Council had established a number of temporary ‘hublets’ in areas that had been particularly badly affected.  These had been attended by representatives of the police service, local insurance companies and other relevant organisations who had provided relevant advice where required to members of the public. 

Members concluded by noting that a number of key lessons had been learned following the floods in 2007.  These had been identified by both the Worcestershire Joint Scrutiny into Flooding Task and Finish Group and in the Pitt Review into the floods.  Members expressed their hopes that many of these lessons would inform an improvement in the performance of Category One responders to future emergencies.

The Chair thanked the Emergency Planning Officer for attending the meeting.

RESOLVED that

the report be noted.