Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum & Emergency Risks

Brett Dyson

Emergency Planning Manager

Reading and Wokingham Borough Councils

The legal framework• Civil Contingencies Act 2004

– Provides a single framework for Emergency Planning in the UK

– Establishes a clear set of roles and responsibilities for those involved in emergency preparation and response at the local level.

– The Act divides local responders into 2 categories, imposing a different set of duties on each.

The Responders• Category 1 responders

• Police, Fire, Ambulance, Local Authorities, Health agencies• Those in Category 1 are organisations at the core of the

response to most emergencies & are subject to all duties of the act

– Category 2 responders• The Health and Safety Executive, transport and utility

companies (Gas/Water/Electricity/Telephony)• Category 2 organisations are

cooperating bodies

Duties of the Act1. To assess the risk of emergencies occurring

2. To put in place emergency plans

3. To put in place business continuity plans

4. To warn, inform the public in the event of an emergency

5. To share information with other responders to enhance co-ordination

6. To co-operate with other local responders to enhance co-ordination and efficiency

7. To provide advice and assistance to businesses and

voluntary organisations about business continuity management (local authorities only)

Other Legislation• Planning (Hazardous Substances) Regulations

1992– Sites which want to hold certain quantities of hazardous

substances must obtain consent (from the local Council)

• Control of Major Accident Hazard Regulations 1999 – COMAH applies mainly to the chemical industry, but also to some

storage activities, explosives and nuclear sites, and other industries where threshold quantities of dangerous substances identified in the Regulations are kept or used

– Requires Emergency Plans to be put in place

Other Legislation• Pipeline Safety Regulations 1996

– High pressure gas pipelines

– Pipelines containing dangerous fluids

– Requires Emergency Plans to be put in place

• Radiation (Emergency Preparedness & Public Information) Regulations 2001 (REPPIR)– The regulations relate to licensed nuclear sites

– Establishes a framework to ensure that the public are

properly informed and prepared for an emergency.

– Requires an emergency plan to be put in

place

BBCF

Strategic Coordinating

Group

Tactical Coordinating

Group

Operational Command

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE

Chief Exec / Chief

Constable

Middle Manager /

EPO

Police Constable /

Council Officer

Response Structure

Top 5 Emergency Risks1. Flooding

2. Flu (Pandemic)

3. Fuel Shortage )Petrol/Diesel)

4. Tele communications loss

5. Storms and Gales

Other Risks1. Loss of Gas/Water/Electricity

2. Incidents at Industrial facilities

3. Strikes by Key workers (emergency Services/Public Transport)

4. Animal Diseases

Risk Risk Category RationalInherent

risk score

 Controls/Risk treatment

Revised risk rating following

controls(Assurance rating)

Additional risk treatment required

Risk Treatment

Owner

H23

Influenza type disease

(pandemic) 

The World Health Organisation is still

concerned about the possible resurgence of

H1N1and there is a likelihood that this strain of

the flu virus will become the “normal”. In addition new strains of flu (H7N9) have recently jumped the

species barrier and present new risks.

VERY HIGH

TVLRF Flu Plan  

PHE Guidance

AMBER 

(Some preparations

made to mitigate the risk but not

all aspects complete)

Flu Plan training refresher

recommended

NHS England Thames Valley

H17

Storms and GalesStorm force winds affecting most of a region for at least 6 hours. Most inland, lowland areas experience mean speeds in excess of 55 mph with gusts in excess of 85 mph. Up to 50 fatalities and 500 casualties 

The winter period has arrived and the chances of such weather conditions have increased

VERY HIGH

Severe weather alert dissemination processes and response plans in

place

GREEN 

All reasonable preparations

made to mitigate the risk

All agencies to continue to

review Severe Weather Warning

recipient’s lists on Hazard

manager as organisational

changes occur.

All agencies

H21Hl18HL19

Flooding major fluvial, across regions (i.e. 2007) & Local Fluvial Flooding 

The winter period is here and the large number of rivers and streams within the Thames Valley mean that this risk is a significant issue across the whole geographic area. Groundwater levels are very high

VERY HIGH

TVLRF Adverse weather plan & local Flood plans

 Lower Thames Flood Plan group

established 

EA flood warning system 

TVLRF Communications plan 

Flood advisory teleconferences streamlined with other adverse

weather teleconferences processes 

GREEN 

All reasonable preparations

made to mitigate the risk

All agencies to continue to

review Flood Warning

recipient’s lists as organisational changes occur.

All agencies

RiskRisk

CategoryRational

Inherent risk score

 Controls/Risk

treatment

Revised risk rating following

controls(Assurance

rating)

Additional risk treatment required

Risk Treatment Owner

H31

Significant or perceived significant constraint on supply of fuel

Tanker Driver strike appears less likely now and hasn’t been mentioned in the media since may 2012. Grange mouth strike & takeover has passed and risk appears to have abated.

VERY HIGH

National & Local Fuel plans.

Local collaboration

arrangements and bunkered stocks

assessed.

GREEN 

All reasonable preparations

made to mitigate the risk

1) Continue to review the dedicated fuel stations list  2) Update the LRF Fuel Plan

1) Thames valley Police

  

2) Thames Valley Police

  

H43

Telecommunication infrastructure – human error.Widespread loss of telecommunications (including public land line and mobile networks) at a regional level for up to 5 days. 

Possibility of disruption due to meteor storms, service provider issues and cyber terrorism.

VERY HIGH

Additional work has been carried out following a

table top test of the technical

communications plan to help to

prepare the LRF for this

eventuality and has reduced the

likelihood

AMBER 

All reasonable preparations

made to mitigate the risk

Some gaps in telecommunications options still remain, as not all partner agencies have

subscribed to the same suite of

resilient telecommunications (i.e. not all agencies have subscribed or

have sufficient numbers of

AIRWAVE units.

1) Planning & delivery Group

to allocate

Emergency Plans• Plans for consequence/capability required

– Mass evacuations– Mass fatalities/temporary mortuaries– Decontamination– Recovery from Emergencies

• Specific plans– Flooding– Pandemic Flu– Fuel shortage– Contingency communications– Animal diseases

Fixed Geographic Risk identification

• Flood zone data– Environment Agency

• High Pressure Gas Pipelines – National Grid/Southern Gas Networks– Oil & Pipeline Agency

• COMAH sites– HSE or Local Authority

• REPPIR– HSE or Local Authority

Other sources of information• The National Risk Register of Emergencies

• Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum– Community Risk Register

• Hazardous Substances Consents– Hazardous Substances Register – Local Authorities

Questions ?