Civil emergencies - emergency plan

Emergency planning

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 combined all legislation that previously governed planning for emergencies within Local Authorities; including procedures and funding. it also provided  them with a number of responsibilities:-

• Co-operation
• Emergency Planning
• Information Sharing
• Communicating with the public
• Risk Assessment
• Business Continuity Promotion (LA only)

'Emergency Planning' includes making sure that Local Authorities are prepared to respond appropriately to a 'Major Emergency' (such as a major flood, loss of power regionally or the consequences of terrorist actions) as well as being adequately prepared for a disaster that affects their capability to provide their services (such as a fire at the office or a failure of their IT system).

Local Authorities are obliged to ensure that they can continue to provide services during an emergency and return to full operation as quickly as possible in the event the incident continues to disrupt for an extended period.

This is termed 'resilience' and is derived from effective 'Business Continuity Management'.

The Local Authority is also charged with providing small and medium sized business within the Borough with advice and support in regard to Business Continuity Management, and Planning, to enable them too, to build resilience into their business.

The London Borough of Havering's Emergency Planning obligations are addressed in a number of ways, including policy and procedures contained within the Councils own  

Major Emergency Plan (a copy of which can be downloaded from this website - top right)

The Emergency Planning and Business Continuity Unit are also Chair of the Havering Borough Resilience Forum (HBRF) and a member of the North East London Local Resilience Forum (NELLRF). HBRF & NELLRF are made up of both Category 1 and Category 2 responders and have a responsibility for co-operation and information sharing and other tasks outlined above.

Business Continuity Management (BCM) within the London Borough of Havering is a process that :-

• identifies potential threats to its operations
• identifies the impacts to our operations that those threats, if realised, might cause.
• provides a framework for building organisational resilience with the capacity for an effective response.
• safeguards the interests of the London Borough of Havering's key Stakeholders, it's reputation, and the provision of services to our customers.

BCM is practiced throughout the organisation (including our supply chain), in order to maintain provision of critical services in the event that an adverse incident interrupted the daily business conducted by the Council.

You can contact us through the details provided on this website for the Emergency Planning & Business Continuity Unit.

Major emergencies

The initial main concern of the Emergency Services and the Council must be for those directly involved in any major emergency or disaster. Concern also extends to relatives and friends of causalities.

It is vital that those responding to the incident are allowed to complete their task quickly and safely, with priority given to rescue operations to minimise causalities and preserve emergency communications.

Updated reports will be provided by the media. We would therefore ask the public to watch and listen to media reports of the incident without contacting the authorities, unless you have vital information which would affect the rescue and safety of those at the incident or disaster.

If you do have important information or feel that a relative or friend may be involved in the incident listen for details of specific telephone numbers which will be set up to provide information on the incident and contact numbers for those requiring further details.

The initial response to major emergencies is usually co-ordinated by the Police and other Emergency Services, and the longer term recovery plan generally by the Council. The London Borough of Havering is prepared to readily respond to all stages to ensure response and restoration of services.

Know what to do in an emergency

To respond to emergencies it always helps to know what is happening. Sometimes this is not possible and therefore it is necessary for your plan to be sufficiently flexible to work when you are unsure what is actually taking place.

Remain calm - be patient

Deal with the important things first

1. 1.  Care for any injured but only if it is safe to do so i.e. cut off power before helping someone suffering from electric shock. Do not go near any power cables that have been damaged.
2. 2.  Do not use matches, gas services may be damaged. If you smell gas, turn off at the main valve, open the windows and move everyone outside to an immediate safe location.
3. 3.  Check for fires and other hazards using appropriate gloves and equipment, i.e.. domestic chemical or flammable liquid spills.
4. 4.  Check that your neighbours are OK, particularly the elderly and disabled.

Put your emergency planning into action

1. 1.  Watch TV or listen to the radio for news, information, particularly instructions on what to do
2. 2.   If you need to travel try to work out the safest route and tell other family members where you are going, how you are travelling and what route you are taking. Leave a note at your home saying where you have gone.
3. 3.  Wear protective or appropriate clothing particularly during extremes of weather.
4. 4.   If possible call your family contacts so that they know what is happening
5. 5.   If not accompanying you make sure your pets are safe and secure
6. 6.  Gather your emergency kit together and be ready to move to your identified meeting place(s) or if this is not possible, to a rest centre nominated by the emergency services or local authority.

Getting away from a disaster area

1. 1.   When moving in or from a dangerous area, take care.
2. 2.   Stay together with your family or friends.
3. 3.   Do not enter fast flowing water where flooding is occurring.
4. 4.   If you are going to stay with family or friends try to inform a neighbour of your whereabouts.

Helping others in an emergency

1. 1.   People with disabilities may need more time than others to take necessary action in an emergency, be ready to offer help.
2. 2.   Be aware that some people with hearing or sight difficulties may not recognise warnings. Offer help where needed.
3. 3.   Working animals, such as guide dogs, may become confused during disasters, again offer help where needed.
4. 4.   Wheelchair ramps may become unusable seek other options for those requiring help.
5. 5.   Be ready to offer assistance to those disorientated or needing help with breathing or other ailments.
6. 6.   Recognise that some people may be suffering from emotional stress and try to direct them to someone who can help such as a local doctor, faith community representative, Salvation Army or British Red Cross Befriender.

Tune in to local radio stations to keep up to date with the latest information on the emergency

• BBC London - 94.9FM
• BBC Essex - 95.3FM
• Time FM - 107.5FM
• Capital Radio London - 95.8FM
• LBC - 97.3FM

Emergency telephone numbers

USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBERS

• Major emergencies - Police, Ambulance, Fire Brigade: 999
• Havering emergency number (Other emergencies): 01708 433999
• Out of hours emergency repairs (Homes in Havering): 01708 756699
• Gas (For gas escapes and other emergencies ring at any time): 0800 111 999
• RSPCA Emergencies: 0300 1234 999

Police:

• Main switch line: 101 - non emergencies

Water Emergencies (at any time):

• Water supply- (Essex & Suffolk): 0845 782 0999
• Sewage treatment & disposal (Thames Water): 08459 200 800

If there is an emergency - Go in, Stay in, Tune in!

BBC London - 94.9FM

BBC Essex - 103.5 and 95.3FM

Time FM - 107.5FM

Emergency Planning

 A 'Major Emergency' may require the implementation of special arrangements by one, or more, or all of the emergency ( CAT1 and CAT 2) responders for:

the rescue and transportation of a large number of casualties

the involvement either directly or indirectly of large numbers of people

the handling of a large number of enquiries likely to be generated both from the public and the news media, usually addressed by the police in the first instance

the mobilisation and organisation of the emergency responders and supporting agencies, e.g. local authority, to cater for the threat of death, serious injury or homelessness to a large number of people

Stages

Most major incidents can be considered to have four stages:

• Initial response
• Consolidation
• Recovery
• Restoration of normality (investigatory procedures may be introduced that could affect these stages)

Declaration

An emergency will be declared through a prescribed process required by legislation within the Major Emergency Plan and is subject to fulfilling certain criteria. The other emergency services will each attend with an appropriate predetermined response to the declared emergency, although the event may not fulfil every service's criteria of that definition and even if they are employed in a stand-by capacity and not directly involved in the incident.

Planning for Emergencies

The Council's Major Emergency Plan (MEP) is regularly reviewed and is available for downloading. 

You can contact us through the details provided on this website for the Emergency Planning & Business Continuity Unit.

The unit co-ordinates the planning, training, exercising, activation, and the management of the Council's response to emergencies. The unit works with the emergency services, voluntary agencies and other agencies, to ensure there is a co-ordinated and effective response for our community.

Emergency Planning and Business Continuity Service: Contact Details

Emergency Planning and Business Continuity Manager: 01708 433206

Emergency Planning Officer: 01708 434605

Emergency Planning & Business Continuity Support Officer: 01708 433187

Team details: emergencyplans@havering.gov.uk

Response from the Council's directorates and services

The Emergency Planning Call Out List ensures that there is an availability to respond to major emergency calls from the emergency services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. An emergency planning officer will activate and co-ordinate an appropriate Council response to major incidents. Each Council service has a number of service emergency contact officers who can be contacted to activate a response from their service.

Mutual Aid to and from other local authorities

Mutual aid arrangements are in place with other local authorities, which can be instigated in the event of an incident requiring a response that exceeds the resources of the authority.

The North East London Group of Local Authorities currently includes the London boroughs of:

Havering

Barking and Dagenham

Redbridge

Newham

Waltham Forest

Havering Borough Resilience Forum

The Havering Borough Resilience Forum is a multi-agency group that meets bi-monthly. The panel consists of:

• Metropolitan Police
• London Ambulance Service
• London Fire Brigade
• NHS Havering 
• Barking Havering and Redbridge University Hospital Trust
• Health Protection Agency
• Environment Agency
• British Transport Police

The forums aim is to provide an opportunity for professionals with a major interest in emergency planning within the administrative area of the London Borough of Havering to meet as equal partners to improve emergency planning preparedness within the borough, and outwards too.

Its responsibilities are to:

• respond to consultations and tasks from, and provide input to, the North East Sub Regional Resilience Forum.
• within the London Borough of Havering, identify the risks, and provide a borough based risk register to inform the LLRF Community Risk Register.
• examine, develop and implement best practice within the emergency planning profession, recognising the interests of all services/agencies.
• develop new initiatives and take account of Government or Cabinet Office Guidance wherever this will benefit the community
• foster good relations/mutual aid arrangements with neighbouring local authorities

Emergency planning structure

National

The Civil Contingencies Secretariat of the Cabinet Office provides a national focus for Civil Contingency Planning.

The Home Office is responsible for the Government's contingency planning arrangements to protect the public from any possible threat from terrorists and to manage the consequences of terrorism, whatever form it comes in.

Pan-London

London has a special mention in the Civil Contingencies legislation, and is considered a Region for the purpose of the Act. There are a number of organisations that contribute to the emergency planning process in London, as follows: 

• London Resilience Team
• London Emergency Services Liaison Panel
• London Fire & Emergency Planning Authority

The London Region is then divided into six areas, each of which will form a Sub Regional Resilience Forum, (SRRF), consisting of 5 - 6 London Borough's and other Category 1-2 Responders as necessary.

These SRRF areas are as follows:

North East Sub Regional Resilience Forum

The inaugural meeting of the Forum (initially the NELRF) took place on 27 October 2005.

In addition to the six Sub Regional Resilience Fora, Local Authorities are organised into Mutual Aid Groups, which may or may not reflect the SRRFs'.

A further forum for ensuring some consistency, and to provide the opportunity for discussion, is the London Local Authorities Emergency Planning Group.

Emergency planning responsibilities

Risk assessments

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004, and subsequent legislation and guidance, provides a framework for the risk assessment process. London has special arrangements, covered in more detail under Emergency Planning Structure.

Meanwhile, The Havering Borough Resilience Forum will contribute to the Community Risk Register for the London Local Resilience Forum, by producing its own Risk Register for the administrative area of the London Borough of Havering.

Prepare and maintain plans

The service maintains the Council's Major Emergency Plan and also develops and maintains plans for reasonable foreseeable specific threats (e.g. flooding), or for response activities which are common to a range of major incidents (e.g. Rest Centres, Transport). Emergencies have no respect for boundaries, and the Unit will work with emergency planning colleagues in other Local Authorities, Emergency Services, Utilities, Regulatory Agencies, facility owners/managers and the Voluntary Agencies, to ensure that plans are compatible, workable and achievable.

Arrange training, events and emergency exercises

Emergency Planning Officers are involved in training and exercising the various plans to ensure that the Council's plans, personnel and resources are "fit for purpose". With partner organisations, we try to ensure a robust capability to respond to emergency incidents.

Provide the Borough Council Response to Emergency Incidents

The Service is the first point of contact when an incident is notified to the Council via its 24 hour emergency line (01708 433999). The Emergency Planning Officer call out list ensures that there is an availability to respond to major emergency calls from the emergency services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. An Emergency Planning Officer will activate and co-ordinate an appropriate Council response to major incidents.

Debriefing

After an incident, the various responder organisations will review the incident through an internal debrief to ascertain key learning points, changes to procedures/roles, appropriateness of resources, and further training needs. Where necessary, a multi-agency debrief can be initiated by all/any of the responder organisations to review aspects of the multi-agency arrangements.

Our emergency plans

The Emergency Planning and Business Continuity Service works closely with its counterparts in the emergency services, local authorities, NHS, transport, utilities, regulatory agencies, voluntary agencies and other key players in the Borough's community to safeguard its population, local infrastructure and assets. The Havering Borough Resilience Forum was formed to provide a group  for co-operation and information sharing.

The Service Manager is responsible for the preparation, co-ordination and implementation of Council's policy, emergency plans and procedures in consulting with senior management and representatives of the various Council services. Efforts are co-ordinated through regular liaison/project meetings with stakeholders on a wide range of issues.

Response from the Council's directorates and services

The Emergency Planning Call Out List ensures that there is an availability to respond to major emergency calls from the emergency services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. An Emergency Planning Officer will activate and co-ordinate an appropriate Council response to major incidents. The Council have a group of Local Authority Liaison Officers who can be contacted to activate a response from their service.

Aid to and from Other Local Authorities

Mutual aid arrangements are in place with other local authorities, which can be instigated in the event of an incident requiring a response which exceeds the resources of the authority.

Major Emergency Plan

The Council's Major Emergency Plan (MEP) is designed to handle any major emergency within the Borough's boundaries irrespective of how, where or when it happens. The MEP provides the basis for response. It is the product of consultation with stakeholders and partners.

The Emergency Planning and Business Continuity Unit's role is to act as the focal point for contact between the Emergency Services and the Council to co-ordinate Council response. It provides local authority and other resources to support the Police, Fire Service, Ambulance and Health Services.

Specific plans

These cover:

• Flooding
• Rest and reception centres
• Transport/evacuation
• Temporary mortuary
• Helplines

Town Centre Emergency Evacuation

The Borough Council is working actively with partners and stakeholders to produce a Town Centre Evacuation Plan. This was completed in 2009.

Other plans that affect Havering

The Service actively contributes to the development and maintenance of the following plans:

• Offsite plans for one Control of Major Accident Hazard site (COMAH)
• Multi Agency Flood Plan

We also hold copies of partners organisations' generic and specific plans as an aid to better understanding/co-ordination of joint efforts in day-to-day activities, exercises and emergency incidents.

Emergency planning - partners, stakeholder and other organisations involved with Havering

Our partners in the Sub Regional Resilience Forum

• London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
• London Borough of Redbridge
• London Borough of Waltham Forest
• London Borough of Newham

Other Councils and Local Government Bodies

• Greater London Authority
• London Prepared
• LFB EP
• LESLP
• Essex County Council
• Epping Forest District Council
• Thurrock Borough Council
• Brentwood Borough Council
• LGA
• LRT

Utilities

• British Telecom
• National Grid
• Essex and Suffolk Water
• Anglian Water
• Thames Water

Emergency Services

• British Transport Police
• London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
• London Fire Brigade
• Metropolitan Police Service

Transport

• Transport for London
• London City Airport
• Stansted Airport
• Network Rail
• National Express East Anglia

Health

• NHS Havering
• Barking Havering and Redbridge University Hospital Trust

Voluntary Organisations

• British Red Cross
• RAYNET
• St John  Ambulance
• Salvation Army
• Women's Royal Voluntary Service
• Disaster Action
• Rotary International

National Government, departments, agencies and regulatory bodies

• Cabinet Office, Civil Contingencies Secretariat
• Environment Agency
• Government Office for London
• Home Office
• DirectGov
• UK Resilience
• MI5
• Department of Health

Regulatory Agencies

• LFB (Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations)
• Environment Agency
• Health and Safety Executive
• Railway Inspectorate

National Health Service

• Health Protection Agency
• NHS Direct
• Public Health Laboratory Service

Companies

• The Mercury
• Cosgrove
• The Brewery
• Land Management HQ
• Quadrant