Roles and Responsibilities

As a Category 1 Responder, the Council has a number of statutory duties placed upon it by the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. These duties are:

• Assess the risk of emergencies occurring and use this to inform contingency planning
• Put in place emergency plans
• Put in place business continuity management arrangements
• Share information with other local responders to enhance coordination
• Cooperate with other local responders to enhance coordination and efficiency
• Provide advice and assistance to businesses and voluntary organisations about business continuity management
• Put in place arrangements to make information available to the public about civil protection matters and maintain arrangements to warn, inform and advise the public in the event of an emergency.

In an emergency, the Council’s top priority is the safety and welfare of the residents and visitors within the Borough.

The main responsibility of the Council is to provide practical welfare support to those affected by an emergency, often displaced (made homeless) which will be achieved the provision of a Rest Centre(s) to provide temporary shelter including; accommodation, food.

The Council works closely with the emergency services and other partner agencies in emergency situations to share information and co-ordinate activities to protect the public and bring the incident to a successful conclusion.

This co-ordinated work involves assisting in warning the public and keeping the public informed during the emergency.

After an emergency it is the Council’s responsibility to assist the affected community return to ‘normality’, through  co-ordinated reconstruction, restoration and rehabilitation activities with partner agencies, local businesses and the public.