Memorandum by the Office of the Deputy
Prime Minister (SAR 16)
SEARCH AND RESCUE
EMERGENCY PLANNING
AND THE
VOLUNTARY SECTOR
During my oral evidence on 2 March 2005, the
Committee asked whether guidance had been issued to local authorities
about how they should work with voluntary Search and Rescue organisations
in emergency planning.
The most recent Government guidance on the handling
of emergencies is contained in the enclosed document entitled
"Dealing with Disaster (revised third edition)" [7]published
in 2003 by the Civil Contingencies Secretariat of the Cabinet
Office.
Chapter 6 of this document provides guidance
to emergency agencies, including local authorities, on civil contingency
(emergency) plans and the activities covered by the voluntary
sector. It advises setting up a voluntary sector co-ordinating
group at a local level, chaired by a local authority civil protection
representative, to help co-ordination between statutory services
and local voluntary organisations.
An enclosed copy of a new document "Preparing
for Emergencies"[8]
has just undergone public consultation and offers draft guidance
to emergency agencies, including local authorities, on draft Regulations
made under Part I of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.
The draft regulations and guidance seek to establish
a new statutory framework for civil protection at the local level,
planned to take effect later this year. These new arrangements
will see the creation of local resilience fora (LRFs) based on
local police authority areas and include Local Authorities, the
Emergency Services and NHS bodies (known as Category 1 responders).
LRFs will enable Category I organisations to meet their statutory
duty to cooperate with each other and have due regard to the voluntary
sector. They must meet at least twice a year and more frequently
if LRF members agree it is necessary.
Chapter 14 of "Preparing for Emergencies"
states that Category I responders, which include Local Authorities,
are required to work with the voluntary sector in developing their
emergency plans. The form of LRF engagement will vary according
to local circumstance and involve one of:
— direct LRF representation by
one voluntary organisation, or
— a voluntary LRF "sub-group"
of all voluntary services, chaired by a local authority civil
protection officer, or
— bilateral links on the basis
of functions (eg the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Royal
National Lifeboat Institution), or
— bilateral links on the basis
of capabilities (eg a particular service offered by a range of
voluntary organisations, such as refreshments for emergency services).
March 2005
7 "Dealing with Disaster" (revised third
edition): http://www.ukresilience.info/contingencies/dwd/index.htm Back
8
"Dealing with Disaster" and "Preparing for Emergencies":
"Dealing with Disaster"' at http://www.ukresilience.info/contingencies/dwd/
"Preparing for Emergencies" at http://www.ukresiIience.info/ccact/guidance1.pdf Back
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