Peter Langford Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Unit Civil Contingencies Act 2004

Aim To provide you with awareness and understanding of the way emergency planning is managed within Suffolk and the role of Community Emergency Planning Groups (CEPG)

Objectives To have an awareness and understanding of:- The Civil Contingencies Act (2004) and the role of the Suffolk Resilience Forum Role and structure of the Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Unit (JEPU) Roles and responsibilities of local authorities in preparing for, during and recovering from an emergency Volunteers and Community Emergency Planning groups and how they can support the local authority

National Policy & Legal Basis Civil Contingencies Act 2004 – prompted by Foot & Mouth (2001), Fuel protest (2000), Flooding (2000) Suffolk Local Resilience Forum (SRF) collaborate on identifying risks, the production of multi agency plans, training and exercising. Obligation to co-operate and share information. CCA Defines an Emergency – broad definition that covers war or attack by foreign power, terrorism. As well as threats to National Security is also considers an event or situation which threatens serious damage to: - Human Welfare or the Environment. Act divided into three parts: Pt 1 obligation on certain organisations to prepare for various types of emergencies; Pt 2 provide additional powers to Government in large scale emergency; Pt 3 supplementary legislation. Act requires the organisations in Pt 1 to create a Local Resilience Forum, based on Police boundaries, to consider risks as part of their emergency preparedness, publish risk assessment as a Community Risk Register and then develop plans proportionate to the risk. Pt 1 places a legal obligation on emergency services and local authority to asses risk, plan and exercise for emergencies, as well as undertake Business Continuity management. Also responsible for warning and informing the public in relation to the emergency. Finally, BC advice to businesses. Legal obligation for increased co-operation and information sharing, which also includes non-emergency services that might have a role in an emergency eg utilities and transport. SRF is the forum for assessing risk, producing plans and collaborating on training and exercises.

Responder Agencies within the Civil Contingencies Act (CCA) 2004 Category 1 Police Fire & Rescue Ambulance Local Authorities Environment Agency Maritime Coastguard Agency Acute and Foundation Trusts NHS England Public Health England & Port Health Authorities Category 2 Electricity Gas Water or Sewerage Providers Telecommunications Network Providers NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups Railways Airports Highways England Harbour Authorities Health and Safety Executive Voluntary Organisations This then is the list of those agencies classified as category 1, as can be seen these form all the blue lights and community responders on the front line of humanitarian aid. Requirement under the Act for each Cat 1 and 2 responder to have an Emergency Planning Officer (or Resilience Officer) to ensure organisation complies with the Act and to share information with other responders. Cat 2 organisations are required to cooperate and share information with the Cat 1 agencies. Voluntary groups (SVOG) Voluntary organisations play a key role in supporting category 1 & 2 responders Provide a diverse range of skills and practical specialist knowledge.

Responder Duties Assess Risks Put in place emergency plans Put in place Business Continuity arrangements Inform public about civil protection and warn, inform and advise in the event of an emergency Share information Co-operate with other local responders Provide BCM advice and assistance to businesses and voluntary organisations (Local Authorities only). Co-operate

Risk Assessment IMPACT PROBABILITY Key points: Structured process with other Suffolk response partners to look at the potential risks to Suffolk. Based upon a national list of risks (about 85) which are then slimmed down to discard those which don’t affect Suffolk – leaves about 70. These are then graded according to likely impact and probability based upon historical evidence or other information. Key risks to Suffolk area (in no particular order!): Flooding Sizewell Severe Weather Felixstowe – Ferry incident or Calor Plant A12/A14 transport incident Animal Disease – Bird Flu, FMD, etc Pandemic Flu Ques: Do you agree with these key risks, have we missed any? Others: Fire, explosion / explosion risk, pollution, rail / air incident? PROBABILITY

National Risk Register

Role of the Local Authority Support the Emergency Services Help the Community Protect the Environment Coordinate volunteer support Lead the ‘recovery’ Maintain Key Services Promote Business Continuity Provide advice & assistance LA Roles – how we typically support the community in discharging our duties under the CCA Specific to LA – Promotion of BCM internally & externally The saving of life and the protection of property - Prevent Escalation of the incident Safety of the public for the duration of any incident - Minimise the effect on the environment Restoration / Recovery Phase - Assist with investigations LA Lead role – Recovery phase can be years when you consider the psychological impact of major incident or cleaning up after flooding.

The slide depicts the command, control and co-ordination for a Local Authority. In the event of a major incident the LA will set up an Emergency Control Centre (ECC) to co-ordinate the response. The TCG and SCG are on the slide, these are multi-agency. The Local Management Team or Tactical Management Team (TMT) manage the LA response and only considers how the incident effects the LA and the authorities area – environment and residents. The TMT will keep Elected officials (members) informed because they are the link to the local communities and a useful conduit for information. The Community Emergency Planning Groups (CEPs) and Voluntary Organisations are also a source of information and may be able to provide assistance depending on the situation eg: help at a Rest Centre, identify and assist vulnerable individuals. The LA response might be to set up a Rest Centre to accommodate people made homeless or evacuated because of the incident or it might be to send a representative from a department (eg Environmental Health or Building Control) to assess pollution or unstable structures. The ECC will also liaise with Media to ensure that messages and warnings to the public are co-ordinated and to Call Centre to ensure that they have uptodate information when responding to enquiries from the general public. Finally the LA will generate a Liaison Officer to support the LA response. The LO will probably go to the incident/accident to co-ordinate with other responders and provide the ‘eyes and ears’ for situational awareness. However the LO might be asked to go to the a particular area to assess the situation (eg look at whether a property has been damaged by flooding)

Phases of the Emergency Police Fire Ambulance Local Authority Change from Response to Recovery ACTIVITY Slide chart of showing speed of response and length of involvement of responding agencies. Length difficult to identify Rebuilding may take years Comprehensive decontamination & restitution may take decades Collective & individual human impacts longer Effective Recovery needs well established Programme & Project management disciplines. TIME

Recovery Welfare Clean up Rebuilding Information Business Remembrance Cost Key points: The multi-agency Recovery of communities will be lead by District or Borough if emergency within district boundary or significant mutual aid not needed. Where more than one district area effected or significant mutual aid needed, recovery maybe led by SCC – this would be debated by CEOs at SCG. Recovery starts shortly after the response by forming a Recovery Working group at SCG to look at potential activity areas. The key need for recovery is a Recovery Plan and this is drafted at SCG in conjunction with all agencies that might be needed. The aim is to produce the outline plus who might be needed within 12 hours or a major incident occurring. The Recovery Plan will be influenced by the political consideration of the council as key decisions on strategic direction and resource expenditure will be needed. Once agreed, the Recovery Plan is implemented through SCG which changes to recovery mode as the RCG. Long term – 12 months for residents back into flooded properties, 5 years effects of flood in Glos affecting schools service delivery, 46 years Aberfan ‘missing’ generation. Ques: What are the challenges for members in the recovery phase?

Community Impact Assessment Social Impacts Environmental Impacts Health Impacts Economic This is a multi agency / community involvement process, driven by the Local Authority Social Impacts: Disruption to daily life – simple things like not being able to draw pension at usual post office Education – parents having to stay at home to look after children or find carers Welfare services – need additional benefits and social care Transport system – disrupted causing problems Economic Impacts: Individuals needs – instant cash to see them by Businesses – no income coming in – postponement of business rates paid, loss of council revenue through car park charges etc Infrastructure – road damage – Gloucester still has roads that need repairing - Macro economy - Tourism losses – encouraging people to come back Farming – loss of agricultural farm land especially from tidal innundation Health Impacts: Deaths Suffering – mental and physical Physical Psychological – people scared of the rain Environmantal Impacts: Bio Diversity & Eco Systems effected Built Environment Waste and pollution Natural Resources

JOINT EMERGENCY PLANNING UNIT

Public Information Key points: Information on what communities and business can do to prepare for emergencies must be provided routinely. This should also include guidance on what to do in an emergency and who to contact. Current public information methods: Suffolk Resilience website Suffolk LA County / District / Borough websites Emergency preparedness Z cards Routine use of TV/radio to reinforce preparedness messages Parish Council area meetings through SALC and individual Parish Council briefings on request Chambers of Commerce Ques: How can members assist this public information process.

Warning Key points: Wherever possible, warning of potential emergencies should be provided. National systems in place: Severe Weather – Met Office – TV, Radio, website. Flooding – EA – Floodline (text messages, automated calls), TV, radio, website. Where warnings cannot be given, a key response activity is to warn people at risk. Usually managed by Police as default lead responder but reinforced by other agencies. Routinely communications staff from responder agencies meet as part of SRF to refine communications in a crisis arrangements – set out in SRF Communicating in a Crisis Plan. Ques: Do members have a role in warning communities?

Community Emergency Planning Groups Question relevant to all communities However, all communities may not have considered it Difficulties identifying what a ‘community’ is, especially in an urban setting

CEPGs Map showing CEP Groups dated Apr 18.

Plans Notification Cascade of information Situational awareness Activation Focal point Vulnerable individuals Data protection

Further Information JEPU - EP Officers Suffolk Resilience www.suffolkresilience.com Get Prepared Now https://twitter.com/SuffolkPrepared