Emergency planning

The Emergency Planning Service is part of the Neighbourhood Services Directorate and is based at Merlin House, Merlin Way, Ilkeston.

The aim is to prepare emergency plans and make arrangements to protect people and the environment in Erewash and/or reduce the impact on them from an emergency.

We liaise on a regular basis with the Police, Fire, Ambulance and Health Services through Derbyshire County Council in preparing its emergency plans. Joint training and rehearsals take place with these services and other agencies to ensure that these plans will work.

The following information shows the areas of work that the Emergency Planning Service is currently involved in.

If there are any areas of particular interest please contact the Emergency Planning Office who will be more than happy to give further details.

The contact telephone number is 0845 9072244.

Contingency plans

Emergency plan

The Emergency Plan is designed to cope with any emergency irrespective of how, where or when it occurs, and for this reason the plan must retain a degree of flexibility.

The Emergency Planning unit's role is to act as the contact point for the emergency services. It provides expertise and other resources to assist the county council, Police, Fire, Ambulance and Health Services as well as managing internal flood defences.

Some emergencies can be anticipated and the contingency plans mentioned below have been drawn up to deal with these.

Business continuity

We have Business Continuity management arrangements in place to help it continue to provide key services in the event of an emergency such as severe weather disruption, loss of premises or power failure.

The strategy supporting these arrangements is available below.

Advice to businesses

The Cabinet Office has published a Pandemic Flu Checklist for Businesses to assist in developing and reviewing plans. It identifies important and specific activities which organisations can do to prepare for a pandemic.

Hazardous site plans

We help prepare and maintain off-site emergency plans for hazardous sites in Erewash.

The plans are designed to deal with the consequences of an incident which could have an affect beyond the site boundary.

They set a framework for co-ordinating the response by the emergency services, Local Authority and company to an incident at the site. Provisions are included for warning the public, the possible effect on the environment and, where necessary, evacuation.

Emergency Planning is involved in: advising occupiers of public buildings on emergency procedures and, during an emergency keeping them updated, and providing support for the county council and emergency services.

Flood contingency plan

The aim of the plan is to set out arrangements and provide information for responding to a flood or potential flood incident affecting Erewash.

In a flood emergency the unit manages its own flood defences and monitors the actions of other agencies (Environment Agency etc), deals with enquiries from the public and provides resources (e.g. sandbags).

During the floods of November 2000 the Division:

Received calls for help from the public
Directed resources, e.g. sandbags to affected areas
Provided information on affected areas to the public, county council, Environment Agency, Police, Fire, Ambulance, etc. and operated flood defence apparatus
Arranged temporary accommodation through the county council for people evacuated from their homes in Little Eaton and visited vulnerable people in their homes
Called in assistance through the county council from the army, rangers, highways maintenance, voluntary organisations, etc.

Events

Plans are prepared for events attracting large crowds to ensure, as far as possible, the safety of spectators.

The arrangements include: control points, stewards, first aid, fire precautions, emergency announcements, signing, layout of site, access/exits for spectators and emergency services and the procedures to be implemented if there is an incident at the event.

Pipelines

There is a statutory duty on Derbyshire County Council to prepare plans to deal with a major accident occurring on a pipeline carrying dangerous substances which are identified by the Health and Safety Executive. There is approximately 200 km of this in Derbyshire.

Tunnels

Procedures have been prepared for dealing with an emergency in a railway tunnel which includes evacuation and support of those involved.

Football grounds

Plans are prepared for designated sports grounds detailing the joint response to a major incident, including the unit's assistance in the provision of temporary accommodation in an evacuation and support for those involved.

Animal Disease Plan

The Animal Dease Plan outlines procedures to ensure a pre-planned, co-ordinated response in the event of an outbreak, or suspected outbreak, of a notifiable exotic animal disease which could have major consequences within Derbyshire.

Media plan

In a major emergency the requirements of the media for fast early information will cause extreme pressure on all agencies involved.

The Media Plan has been developed by the County Council to minimise the pressure on those operational staff directly involved in the incident. It also aims to ensure the best possible response to the media and the Emergency Planning Unit could provide premises for press centres.

Humanitarian Assistance Plan

The Humanitarian Assistance Plan has been prepared to detail the practical assistance (shelter, clothing, feeding, etc), social and psychological support to those people affected by an emergency.

Radiation emergency response guidance

A response plan has been prepared to cover a possible radiation emergency affecting the Erewash area. This involves providing information to the public on the emergency.

Training and exercises

All agencies involved in the response to emergencies are trained in their roles.

The plans are tested every three years to ensure that they would work efficiently and effectively in any emergency situation.

Information technology

Resources Database

A Resources Database has been developed by Derbyshire to provide resources in support of the emergency services that are not currently available within the Local Authority.

Three hundred and fifty firms have agreed to be part of this Database and to be available to provide resources 24 hours a day.

Geographic Information System

A Geographic Information System (GIS) is used by the Emergency Planning Unit.

This computerised system displays information against a mapped background, e.g. properties, infrastructure, resources or population statistics in a given area. This is particularly useful in responding to emergencies but is an important planning tool.

Radiation Monitoring System

We have access to a Radiation Monitoring System which involves five outstation monitoring sites around the county communicating information to a central computer at County Hall.

This System allows the monitoring of background radiation levels, meteorological information and other gases. In such cases as Chernobyl this system will allow Derbyshire County Council and the Emergency Planning Unit to monitor the radiation levels.

The system will also provide accurate local meteorological information allowing an accurate gas dispersion model to be plotted in the event of a chemical/gas leak.

Response

The Emergency Planning Unit supports the response by the emergency services to incidents by providing resources (plant, equipment, premises, expertise, etc).

It also helps to co-ordinate the response from Parish Councils and voluntary agencies. In some emergencies, e.g. flooding, the Emergency Planning Unit takes the lead role in the response supported by the emergency services.