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Resilience Advisory Board for Scotland
18/12/2008
First Scotrail Managing Director Mary Grant and Professor David Alexander, Director of the Aberdeen Centre for Trauma Research, have joined the Resilience Advisory Board for Scotland (RABS), Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill announced today.
RABS advises Ministers and the wider civil contingencies community on strategic policy development to ensure that Scotland is prepared to respond effectively to major emergencies.
Mr MacAskill said:
"We believe that both Ms Grant and Professor Alexander will make an important contribution by bringing their business experience and academic knowledge to the table, in order to improve our national preparedness."
Civil contingencies has assumed an increasingly high profile in recent years following a number of major events and the Scottish Government has been working closely with key responders and others to enhance Scotland's resilience. This work aims to ensure:
- Scotland is prepared to deal with the consequences of any emergency as responder agencies have planned and exercised together effectively on the basis of a clear view of the risks
- a good understanding of what capability is available locally and nationally
- resources are used flexibly and pragmatically
- individuals and teams are adequately trained, exercised and evaluated
Members of RABS are drawn from Scottish Resilience and other direcorates of the Scottish Government; the Association of Chief Police Officers for Scotland; the Chief Fire Officers Association (Scotland); the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities; the NHS; Transport Scotland; and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives.
Individuals from the private sector and elsewhere who have particular knowledge of and expertise in resilience or change manament issues, can be invited to join RABS. Members' duties are to provide advice based upon their own personal expertise and knowledge of their sector