1. Help is at Hand! Sarah Webb Regional HEPA East Midlands June 2009

2. Health Protection Agency - Arms length body of the Dept of Health -Category 1 responder under the CCA -An ‘expert’ body not a body of experts! -Local Health Protection Units -Local incident response -Infectious diseases -Proactive health protection work with range of stakeholders

3. Specialist Centres and Divisions Centre for Infections – Colindale Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response – Porton Chemical Hazards and Poisons – Chilton and regionally based teams Radiation Protection Division – Chilton and Leeds

4. HPA in Emergencies Category 1 responder Primary role is to provide health protection advice and support to NHS and other responders but increasingly an operational role in response as well. Infectious diseases

5. Chemical Incidents

6. Weather

7. Radiation Incidents

8. STAC Scientific and Technical Advice Cell Called in a major incident with complex or serious health implications it provides a mechanism to bring together all the relevant experts to provide a single source of advice.

9. STAC Guidance to local responders – April 2007 Replaces the HAT [JHAC] Sits within the Strategic Co-ordinating Centre where there is a need for co-ordinated scientific and technical advice to support the response and advise the Gold Commander – useful to see this as part of gold command arrangements Normally activated by the Police Gold – RDPH or HPA Regional Director may also recommend its formation Covers non-terrorist incidents as well as CBRN

10. Role of the STAC Provides a common source of technical advice to Gold [pool information and provide a common view on the merits of different courses of action] Monitor and corral the responding scientific and technical community to deliver on Gold’s objectives Provides a common brief to the technical lead from each agency represented on the cell Liaise with national specialist advisers and their agencies to ensure consistent advice locally and nationally

11. Composition Cell lead – DPH Secretariat/staff officer support Gold liaison Relevant emergency services technical advisers [HAZMAT etc.] HPA EA FSA HSE Local Authority EHP Met Office Other Government Departments e.g. DEFRA Utilities Site Operators reps [COMAH sites] Comms rep GDS

12. Activation RDPH has the strategic responsibility. This is discharged in the East Midlands by the HPA – single point for activation in the region supplemented by local arrangements with each LRF Requests from Police Gold or RDPH etc to be phoned directly to HPA 24/7 number 07092 980004

13. HPA role in activation Signpost the availability of immediate scientific and health advice if necessary Identify the cell lead who will in most circumstances be a Director of Public Health Work with the cell lead to identify appropriate membership of STAC for the incident Contact regional and national STAC members in the initial phase of STAC Co-ordinate early meetings and teleconferencing. It is anticipated that the first STAC meeting would be a teleconference [for acute incidents set up within 1 hour - although this is unlikely to be a full STAC membership] Provide staff officer support to the cell lead for the initial meetings – PCT to take this over?

14. Roles in a STAC Deputy Chair [or Chair] {NHS HPA} STAC Manager {HPA NHS EA} STAC Administrator {HPA NHS EA} STAC member - technical and scientific This role can also be fulfilled by those from a range of organisations

15. LRF Responsibilities Contact arrangements for local STAC members [Local Authority, Fire, etc.] Each agency will need to consider general admin support [loggists] to the STAC. Out of hours this may be dependant on availability of volunteers Suitable venue and support facilities including refreshments etc. Gold liaison officer

16. Further considerations Further national guidance being prepared – looking at competencies for key staff and training Early advice – 1 hour from the first request Cadre of trained individuals with opportunities to exercise Role in supporting recovery – membership may change during the course of an incident

17. Special issues for the HPA The first hour – signposting advice HPU/3 rd on call Teleconference 1 hour in STAC training and expertise for HPA staff Vector command – Feedback Regional Exercise – Feb 08 National Training Programme Feb 08 onwards Loggists HPA Comms

18. How will we know? Acute or ‘big bang’ incidents – links through the blue light services Set of triggers agreed with Fire and Rescue Services Large fires, chemical incidents, radiation incidents Police Gold or SCG ‘Slow burn’ incidents Chronic incidents – land contamination Public health route and/or HPA advice

19. Calling the STAC Request of the Gold Commander STAC operates under the strategic direction of the SCG RDPH or RD from the HPA may recommend to the Gold Commander that a STAC be formed

20. Pressures of working in a STAC Information poor – be proactive! Time critical Working environment may be less than ideal May need to run extended hours or 24/7 – handover is vital ‘Battle rhythm’ – SCG meetings Police liaison officer provides a key link to the SCG Records management – rules of evidence

21. STAC Plan – key areas Role of the STAC Activation Membership and roles within the STAC Action cards Chair and deputy chair Members STAC manager Loggists Maps, forms, information on specialist agencies etc.

22. In summary HPA has a key role in incident response for emergencies affecting health and local authorities EHP’s are likely to be part of that response. In particular in a STAC. Multi-agency response networks – Local Resilience Forum is a vital links between all of us STAC participant training sessions in each county to be run by the HPA