Planning to Protect
Civil contingency planning is part of the everyday
business of Government and public and private bodies.
The purpose is to ensure that flexible plans are in
place to deal effectively with any emergency, major or
minor, foreseen or unforeseen. Incidents may differ in
scale and impact --from events such as the Lockerbie
bombing to more common problems such as flooding along
river courses - but the basic principles of assessing
risks, identifying preventive measures, preparing and
testing plans, responding to emergencies and assisting a
rapid return to normality remains valid whatever the type
of incident.
The public have a right to expect that Government and
public service bodies at all levels take steps to ensure
that a high level of protective measures are in place and
that where incidents occur the emergency services are ready
to respond.
Risk is inherent in modern life and planning is needed
to make sure that where risk cannot be eliminated
altogether the consequences can be dealt with when it
happens. Immediate damage to people and property should be
dealt with swiftly, people affected must be kept safe and
secure during the management of an incident as steps are
taken to return the situation to normal or near normal as
soon as possible.
Emergencies will require different responses but certain
key features apply to the response to emergencies in
Scotland and elsewhere in the UK. These are:
- responsibility for the response should normally lie
with the emergency services and local authorities
directly involved
- there should be a common management structure
applied to all incidents
- detailed records should be kept to enable lessons
to be learned and to assist any subsequent inquiry that
may be undertaken.
Where government is involved, responsibility for
advising Ministers and any action rests with the 'lead'
Executive Department, that is the Department with day to
day policy responsibility for the subject.
The Health Department will lead on emergencies involving
public health, Environment and Rural Affairs will deal with
flooding and Justice will deal with emergencies in its area
of responsibility. Where the lead in a particular incident
is unclear because of its nature, lead responsibility would
rest with the Justice Department.
The Justice Department also has overall responsibility
for policy on emergency planning in Scotland. The basic
principle applied in Scotland and the UK is of local
management of incidents. Eight regional Groups throughout
Scotland, led by the Chief Constable and Local authority
Chief Executives, make detailed plans for all types of
incidents in their area. These plans are exercised
regularly and all groups have experience of dealing with
different types of emergencies.
At the Scottish level the Executive chairs the Scottish
Emergencies Co-ordinating Committee (SECC), which ensures
that steps are taken to respond to the changing risk
environment. It also ensures that work is co-ordinated with
the UK Government's Civil Contingencies Secretariat. The
membership of SECC can be adjusted according to
circumstances but it includes Executive Departments,
emergency services, local authorities and the Military.
Recent initiatives include issuing improved guidance on
dealing with chemical and biological threats, such as
anthrax, where laboratory facilities have been earmarked
for testing, funding provided for decontamination
equipment, and guidance issued on dealing with
incidents.
The Health Department has also recently issued updated
guidance on the roles and responsibilities of Incident
Control Teams in managing public health alerts, including
on ensuring an effective flow of information to the
public.
Eight Regional Groups throughout Scotland, which are
based on police force areas and are led by chief constables
and local authority chief executives, ensure that there are
detailed plans for a wide range of incidents in their area.
These plans are exercised regularly and all groups have
experience of dealing with different types of
emergencies.
Further information can be found at
:
SCOTTISH ORGANISATIONS
Scottish Executive
Dealing with Disasters Together
Responding to emergencies
Foot and mouth contingency plan
Incidents and monitoring
Environmental monitoring and impact: the foot and mouth
outbreak in Scotland
Report on contamination of the drinking water supply
from Milngavie (Mugdoch) Water Treatment Works, August
2002
Scottish Executive response to: Lessons to be learned;
Royal Society; and Royal Society of Edinburgh Inquiries
into Foot and Mouth Disease, November 2002
Managing Incidents Presenting Actual or Potential Risks
to the Public - Guidance on the Roles and
Responsibilities of Incident Control Teams
Civil Contingencies debate in Parliament on 21 March
2002
First Minister's statement on 19 March 2003 on the
International Situation (Contingency Planning)
Deliberate Release of Biological and Chemical Agents in
Scotland: Interim Guidance to help plan the health
service response
Services operating in Scotland
Association of Chief Police Officers of Scotland
British Transport
Police
Scottish
Fire Service
Scottish
Ambulance Service
NHS Scotland
Scottish
Centre for Infection and Environmental Health
Scottish Poisons
Information Bureau
Emergency
Planning Society
Local Government
A number of local authorities in Scotland carry
information about their emergency planning
reponsibilitiesresponsibilities on their website. For
further information contact your local council, accessible
through
COSLA
Scottish Environment
Protection Agency
Floodline
Info
Food
Standards Agency - Scotland
Scottish
Water
Water
UK
Scottish
Power
Scottish Hydro
Mountain
Rescue Committee of Scotland
Search and Rescue
Dog Association for Southern Scotland
St Andrew's
Ambulance Association
RNLI
Maritime and
Coastguard Agency
The Scottish Continuity Group
UK Sites
Cabinet
Office Civil Contingencies Secretariat
Home Office Terrorism Information
The National
Chemical Emergency Centre
Civil Nuclear Emergency Planning Consolidated Guidance
prepared by the Nuclear Emergency Planning Liasion
Group
DTI: Civil nuclear emergency planning. Consolidated
guidance (Nuclear emergency planning liasion group)
Civil nuclear emergency response factsheets
National
Radiological Protection Board
Defence Science and
Technology Laboratory
The National
Focus for Chemical Incidents
Hazchem
information for UK emergency services
Department
of Health - Planning for major Incidents: principles of
good practice
DEFRA
DFID
International sites of interest
Institute
for Safety, Security and Crisis Management, Leiden
University
DRM: World
Institute for Disaster Risk Management
European Crisis
Management Academy
European Commission: civil protection and environmental
accidents
US Food and Drug Administration. Bioterrorism
About
scenario planning (Swiss site)
News Archive