Scottish Government

Operational Annexes

Annex F: KEY EVENT/ACTION FLOW CHART

Annex G: FORMS

FORM A - Notice declaring infected place

Web Link to Form Ahttp://intranet.defra.gsi.gov.uk/v1p3r/Common/Forms/FM30.pdf

FORM B - Withdrawal of notice declaring infected place (Form A)

Web link to Form Bhttp://intranet.defra.gsi.gov.uk/v1p3r/Common/Forms/FM31.pdf

FORM C - Certificate of suspected disease

Web Link to Form Chttp://intranet.defra.gsi.gov.uk/v1p3r/Common/Forms/FM32.pdf

FORM D - Notice to owner or person in charge of animals exposed to infection or to occupier of premises where such animals are or have been situated, imposing restrictions

Web link to Form Dhttp://intranet.defra.gsi.gov.uk/v1p3r/Common/Forms/FM37A.pdf

Annex H: ROLE OF REGIONAL OPERATIONS DIRECTOR ( ROD)

135. A ROD will be appointed whose principal role will be co-ordination of all local agencies and input into the Disease Strategy Group. The ROD will manage all non-veterinary aspects of the LDCC. The ROD will work alongside the local DVM and will report to the DSG.

136. A ROD will be pre-identified and deployed immediately FMD is suspected. The precise deployment will be sensitive to the circumstances at the time.

Role:

To protect the interests of Scottish Ministers in the execution of policy and decisions taken by the DSG.

To provide the link between the DSG and operations on the ground and to ensure decisions taken by the DSG are implemented on the ground.

To establish the LDCC and ensure that all non-veterinary assistance required by the DVM is provided.

Responsibilities:

• Establish LDCC: ensure suitable accommodation, communication infrastructure, and personnel in place. (In liaison with DVM and Local Authority).
• Allocation of non-veterinary staff to all necessary functions.
• Administrative support to DVM and oversee the following areas:
• disease control measures ( e.g. Infected Area)
• cleansing and disinfection (logistics)
• valuation of stock and other items for which compensation may be paid
• disposal programme (logistics including transport and routes)
• slaughter or vaccination (logistics)
• personnel issues
• financial arrangements
• general procurement of resources
• information technology
• communications
• Liaison with local Stakeholders, Local Authorities, Police and contractors.
• General trouble shooting.
• Media liaison.
• Liaise with core disposal stakeholders to consider issues surrounding using burning and burial as disposal options.

Includes: SE Environment Division, SE Health Division, SE Lawyers, SEPA, Local Authority, FSA, Vet, Hauliers, Emergency Planning, [Army].

• In addition, ensure that SEPA is consulted about environmental impacts of e.g. C&D burial.
• Ensure systems in place to capture financial data in relation to culling and disposal.
• To meet at least once a year with the local DVMs.

137. The ROD will establish the local LDCC Management Control Team comprising all relevant local regulating bodies that will meet on a daily basis. (See Section 2).

138. He will also establish a local Stakeholders group. (See Section 2).

139. If there is more than one outbreak in Scotland, each LDCC will have a ROD assigned to it. One of the RODs will be appointed as ROD Scotland.

Additional ROD Scotland Responsibilities:

• Establish links with local RODs - set up systems to share information and identify pinch points/share best practice/provide support.
• Provide input into DSG relating to operational policy, feed policy decisions out to RODs ( ROD Scotland will be the ROD representative on the DSG).
• Liaise with NDCC Disposal team as and when required to maximise efficiency of disposal.
• Negotiate in Scotland or liaise with NDCC Procurement Cell to ensure access to Renderers/incinerators/landfill sites/hauliers in line with GB contracts and agree capacities/day and cost.

140. In the event of a single centre outbreak, the ROD automatically takes on the ROD Scotland responsibilities.

Timing

141. The ROD has responsibility for ensuring that decisions taken by the DSG are put into effect, working as necessary with SVS personnel, agricultural staff, Local Authorities, regulators, contractors, local Community representatives and other relevant Stakeholders. The ROD will ensure that suitable accommodation and communication infrastructure is in place quickly, which is why it is important for him to be deployed as soon as there is suspicion of a disease outbreak.

142. The relationship between the DVM and the ROD is critical to the success of the handling of an outbreak. It is for the ROD to ensure that the DVM receives whatever administrative support is required and to establish appropriate disposal routes for slaughtered animals, taking into account DSG policy on disposal options.

Day 1 Tasks

• Travel to Animal Health Office closest to outbreak
• Establish LDCC Management Control Team to review critical roles and functions, including Infected Area arrangements (for membership see Section 2)
• Mobilise transport contractor from approved list
• Ensure sufficient slaughter teams and other personnel and equipment to meet slaughter targets
• Investigate disposal routes
• Establish contact with NDCC
• Establish contact with Scottish Executive Press Office
• Assess what supporting resources will be required
• Report to DSG outlining Day 2 priorities.

143. It is likely that the ROD will very quickly require support following his initial deployment. At the very minimum, within a matter of days of taking up the position, it is likely he will require the support of:

1 Deputy ROD (at C1 level)

1 Finance Manager

Press Desk support

1 Personnel Manager (depending on size of LDCC)

Assorted Administrative support (2 B2, 2 A3, 2 A1)

144. The provision of suitable accommodation and IT support should already be in hand through Local Contingency Plans. However, it is important for the ROD to ensure that he is satisfied with those arrangements once on the ground. An important aspect of the ROD support structure is the need to capture information that will be needed following the outbreak.

145. If and when military involvement commences, the ROD will liaise with the army commander to ensure that Army personnel are appropriately used and that there is mutual agreement as to what will be expected of them.

Other Scottish Executive Services

146. The ROD will want to ensure that he organises instant access to relevant specialist skills within the Scottish Executive. These include Personnel, IT, Finance and accountancy services, statistical support, Estates Services, Purchasing and Contracts, Quantity Surveyors, Waste Management Engineers, Registry expertise, etc. These should be called upon as necessary when dealing with the consequences and problems of eliminating the disease.

Communications

147. There are wider communications issues that the ROD is required to address. Communication to DSG and NDCC, Ministers, MPs and MSPs, and to the media, the local community and its representatives (Councillors and Community Councillors), members of the public, and others who express interest or concern about the operations.

Visits

148. The ROD/deputy ROD will be expected to arrange and accommodate visits by national politicians and others.

Annex I: ANIMAL HEALTH DIVISION LOCAL PLANS

149. Local plans outline the management and administrative structures that need to be put in place on the ground to deal with the practical aspects of the disease outbreak, the roles of local agencies and the actions that need to be taken in the event of disease. They should include references to HQ contacts, but will be produced to suit local circumstances. Each DVM will facilitate the development of these plans in conjunction with appropriate local agencies.

150. Some local agencies such as Local Authorities, will also formulate their own internal response plans, detailing: who their representative on the LDCC would be, internal communications, mobilisation of resources to cover their responsibilities, maintenance of normal services in addition to the extra duties disease control may bring.

Links to National level:

151. Once plans have been agreed at the local level they are reviewed at the Scottish level to ensure consistency and identification of potential strategic linkages/ issues. (The role of the Executive is to facilitate the delivery of Local Plans).

Stakeholder input:

152. The LDCC Management Control Team co-ordinates a Local Stakeholder Group of public sector agencies (who have been traditionally involved in animal health contingency planning) and other local stakeholders. For membership, see Section 2. Local Plans are reviewed annually in consultation with stakeholders.

Local Plan Contents

153. Local Animal Health Office plans should include the following:

• Actions to be taken by or instructed by Veterinary staff on suspicion of disease, including:
• Serving of Form A/D and establishment of restricted area.
• First contact communications on reasonable suspicion of disease.
• Epidemiological tracings.
• Procedure on confirmation of infection for valuation, slaughter, disposal and cleansing and disinfection.
• Breakdown of responsibilities of SVS, ROD, SEERAD Agricultural Staff, SEPA, Local Authority and Police.
• Instructions for location, establishment and operation of LDCC and establishment of LDCC Management Control Team (see section 2), comprising DVM, ROD, PAO, Local Authority, Police, and SEPA and the Army if involved.
• Sample forms and licences.
• Lists of contacts.
• Maps of Marts and Showgrounds.
• Potential local sites suitable for mass pyres or burial sites, and nearest renderers, incinerators and engineered landfill sites.
• Organisation charts.
• Outline of daily/weekly meetings between key organisations in emergency situations.
• Establishment of Infected Area biosecurity controls and responsibilities for enforcement.
• Specific sites identified for LDCC - to meet necessary requirements. It is likely that the LDCC will need to be located close to the Animal Health Divisional Office which may mean it is located in a different Council area to the outbreak. However, it should be located close to the outbreak wherever possible.
• Lists of Contingency Contracts and Supplementary List are available.

Roles of main parties in Local Plans

154. The SVS implement disease control measures. Local Police and the relevant Local Authority assist the SVS by undertaking enforcement responsibilities. The ROD will establish the LDCC in liaison with the DVM and Local Authority. Due to the extensive and unique nature of the ROD role, it is set out separately in Annex H.

DVM

• Disease control on infected premises and any pre-emptive cull premises.
• Serving of Form A.
• Diagnosis.
• Slaughter (undertaking or supervision of).
• Epidemiological tracing.
• Liaison with ROD over disposal of carcasses - set priorities for disposal.
• Supervision of Cleansing and Disinfection.
• Patrol visits.
• Liaison with Police and Local Authority to ensure awareness of infected area(s).
• Liaison with ROD and Local Authority to establish LDCC.
• Provision advice on issue of local movement licences to Agricultural Staff/Local Authority.
• Agree official closures of land with Local Authority.
• Liaison with Defra's Procurement and Contracts Division.

Local Agricultural Staff

• Provide resources to support LDCC - personnel for helplines, admin, communication (with Pentland House, Farmers, Stakeholders etc.) and office equipment.
• Serving of Form D notifications on behalf of DVM where required.
• Provide logistical assistance in valuation, culling, disposal and C&D operations as required under direction of ROD or DVM.
• Advising of restrictions locally to farmers and to the local population.
• Mapping of IP's and restricted zones and communication of this to Pentland House.
• Providing support to DVM in liaising with farmers.
• Provide administrative support in LDCC as required under direction of ROD/ DVM.
• In liaison with Local Authority, provide administration for granting and enforcing movement and mart licence requirements.
• Provide general agricultural advice to DVM as required.
• Support to ROD in establishing financial structure needed.

Local Authority

• In liaison with Agricultural Staff, provide administration for granting and enforcing movement licence requirements.
• Liaise with DVM and ROD over establishment of LDCC - assist in provision of suitable accommodation and communication infrastructure.
• Assist DVM and ROD in procurement of resources.
• Check compliance with disease control measures ( i.e. Dairies).
• Assist police at vehicle check points.
• Advising of restrictions locally to farmers and to the local population.
• With agreement of DVM, approve official closures of land and advertise them.

Police

• Enforce movement controls.
• Prevent public access to infected premises and officially closed pathways/land.
• Public order and traffic control.
• Stopping and checking vehicles transporting animals - seize suspected disease cases if confirmed by SVS.
• Serving of Form D notifications on behalf of DVM where required.
• Advising farmers of restrictions if required.

Army

If brought in, the Army will provide logistical support for the disposal operation and the Officer in charge on the ground will liaise with the DVM and ROD over roles and priorities.

Annex J: Resources for Local Disease Control Centre

155. This Annex outlines what needs to be considered when identifying a LDCC location and what resources are required to make it operational.

156. Location of a LDCC will be determined by a number of factors including:

• Location of the outbreak and potential for spread
• Availability of accommodation
• Road network to and from location
• Car parking
• Main services (particularly power and telephone line capacity).

159. The requirements set out below will also have a bearing on where the LDCC is established. All these factors will be considered by the DVMs in conjunction with other local agencies, and this will be reflected in the Local Plans. Initially it may be decided to establish the LDCC at the Animal Health Office. It must be recognised that given that the size of the 5 Scottish Animal Health Divisions there can be no certainty that a LDCC will be located in the same Council area as the outbreak.

Capacity requirements:

Main LDCC floor - open plan (guide 6,000 sq ft / 600 sq m)

Briefing room for up to 150 people

Individual meeting rooms, media briefing rooms, and offices

(guide 6-8 rooms)

Laboratory facilities and secure sample handling room

Facility to clean, disinfect and dry protective clothing

Storage for chemicals and other stores with direct access to

loading/unloading area (guide 1,000 sq ft / 100 sq m)

Secure storage for guns, ammunition, and medicines

(guide 400 sq ft / 40 sq m)

Stationery store and registry

File server/communications room

Canteen and rest area; toilets and showers

Perimeter fence or boundary wall for site security

Biosecurity points at building entries and vehicle wash in

Car park

Car parking (guide 400-500 vehicles).

Staffing requirements:

Tackling an outbreak of 10 cases of FMD would require significant numbers of staff from a number of different disciplines. The experience of the last outbreak would suggest that staff numbers of the following order would be required for a major outbreak, with numbers dependent on circumstances of the outbreak and procedures employed.

Around 150 vets - drawn from SVS resources and TVIs.

Around 150 S/ AHOs - again drawn from SVS resources.

Approximately 200-250 field and office staff for Infected Area enforcement - based on staff enforcing movement restrictions on all roads into Infected Area and requirements to accompany milk tankers, etc.

Approximately 100 administrative staff - including existing Animal Health Office staff, to be drawn from Executive resources.

Around 10 procurement (depends on the scale of the outbreak) staff - drawn from DefraPCD sources of supply, supported by a small administrative team.

Significant staff resources are required at the beginning of an outbreak, with a tendency towards over rather than under staffing. The resources can then be built up or wound down as the outbreak develops or subsides.

Communication requirements:

PCs and printers (approximately 300 for a fully staffed LDCC dealing with a major outbreak)

Internal cabling

Sufficient telephone lines

Prodigious power supply

File server(s)

GIS machines, software and plotters (number dependent on size of outbreak).

Facilities management requirements:

Site security

Canteen operation (including very early/late operations)

Laundry service

Building maintenance and cleaning.

Annex K: TEMPLATE NEWS RELEASES

FOOT AND MOUTH PRECAUTIONS IN PLACE

<DATE>

Following a report of <SYMPTOMS> in a <ANIMAL> on a farm in the <GEOGRAPHICAL AREA>, precautionary movement restrictions have been served on the farm and all farms within an 8 kilometre (5 mile) radius. A map of the area in question is attached.

This is standard procedure for suspect cases of Foot and Mouth Disease, pending the outcome of laboratory tests of samples.

Samples from the <ANIMAL> have been sent to the international reference laboratory at the Institute of Animal Health in Pirbright, Surrey.

Initial results will not be available until <DATE>.

Precautionary restrictions have also been placed on farms in <GEOGRAPHICAL AREA> which have had contact with the suspect animal.

Members of the public with any concerns should contact their local animal health office.

The Scottish FMD Contingency Plan can be found at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations/agriculture/fmdcontingency.pdf

FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE CONFIRMED IN <PLACE>

<DATE>

An outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease ( FMD) has been confirmed at <NAME> Farm, <PLACE>, <COUNTY>. The State Veterinary Service is investigating the causes of the outbreak and the Scottish Executive has activated its emergency response plan.

In response to this Scottish Ministers are putting in place a number of pieces of legislation which will have the effect across Scotland of:

• Banning susceptible animal movements
• No markets, fairs, shows or other gatherings of susceptible animals and sales.
• Ban on the export of meat and meat products and importation of susceptible species.

In addition there will be restrictions imposed on

• Itinerant breeding services.
• Control of products from slaughterhouses and knackers yards (human consumption; by-products).
• Detention of stray susceptible animals; may be destroyed.
• Control of dogs, other four-footed animals and poultry.
• Cleansing and disinfection (C & D) requirements at markets, collecting centres, etc.
• Ability to close footpaths (subject to approval of Scottish Ministers.)

In addition restrictions have been put in place to ban people coming on farm for the purposes of shearing/dipping of sheep and the ultrasound scanning of susceptible animals.

Heightened Biosecurity

In addition to these, heightened biosecurity arrangements have been put in place for 10km around the infected premises. This is intended to minimise the risk of mechanical disease spread and will impose the following conditions:

- all vehicles entering and leaving livestock farms and other such premises should be thoroughly cleansed and disinfected;

- livestock farmers must maintain disinfectant footbaths at every entry to, and exit from, their premises;

- special licensing provisions and extra conditions for all lorries making any deliveries to and collections from farms and other livestock premises;

- special measures for tankers collecting milk from farms including the need for the vehicles to be accompanied by an official;

- a system of specific licences for moving forage onto and off farms and also for the spreading of slurry; licences can be obtained from the …………………..

- that joint Local Authority/Police/Scottish Executive Patrols will monitor the area to ensure biosecurity requirements are met;

- footpaths and rights of way through, and within, the infected area will be closed.

The Scottish Executive's Environment and Rural Affairs Department, in conjunction with other agencies, will distribute information leaflets on specific issues relating to the IA. This information is also available on the Scottish Executive Agriculture website [ http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/?pageID=43

Access

Outside the Infected Area there will be a presumption in favour of access. Closures outside the RIA will only be permitted by Scottish Ministers on the basis of veterinary risk assessment.

Notes for Editors

FMD susceptible animals include: cattle, sheep, pigs, goats and deer.

The Scottish FMD Contingency Plan can be found at

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations/agriculture/fmdcontingency.pdf

The Scottish Statutory Instruments are………

The map showing the Infected Area is attached.

Annex L(i): AGENDA TEMPLATE

DSG Initial Meeting

1. Modus Operandum

2. Disease Situation

3. Immediate Deployment

4. Statutory Orders

5. Communication / Stakeholders

6. Resources

7. Follow up Arrangements

8. Involvement of Minister

Annex L(ii): AGENDA TEMPLATE

DSG Standard Meeting

1. Action Points of [date] DSG meeting

2. Disease Update

3. Immediate Actions

Annex L(iii): AGENDA TEMPLATE

Birdtable

1. Disease Update

2. Resources

3. Disposal

4. Communications

5. Access

6. Operational Policy

7. Licensing