A major emergency is commonly defined as any event (happening with or without warning) causing or threatening death or injury, damage to property or the environment or disruption to the community, which because of the scale of its effects cannot be dealth with as part of our day-to-day activities.
Most emergencies are completely unpredictable. To prepare for a response to the foreseeable risks and other incidents the Council has developed a range of response plans as it is required to do as a Category 1 responder as defined by the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. The plans are generic and site/function specific and are established so that resources and experienced people can respond effectively when a major crisis occurs.
Local authorities at both county and district council level have a statutory requirement under various pieces of legislation (such as the Civil Defence Act of 1948, the Local Government Act of 1972 amended by the Housing Act of 1996, and the Civil Protection in Peacetime Act of 1986) to produce plans to deal with the effects of disasters
Read on to get advice on responding and preparing for emergencies.