Emergency Planning

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and supporting guidance documentation establishes a clear set of roles and responsibilities for those involved in emergency preparation and response at a local level.

What is an emergency?: The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 provides the definition of an ‘emergency’ as:

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 requires us to produce a Community Risk Register as part of our wider work in preparing for, responding to and recovering from emergencies. This process helps to ensure that our emergency plans are appropriate and proportionate to the identified risks, which will help to meet the needs of the community.

An Emergency Supply Kit contains important personal information and items that might be useful in an emergency. The box should be small enough to carry and be kept in a safe place that everyone in the family can quickly find.

During a major incident local residents may be advised to “Go In, Stay In, and Tune In” to your local radio or TV station and stay there until you are told it is safe to go outside.

Residents are encouraged to take steps to reduce the impact of an emergency on themselves and families. What could you do to help? Take some time to plan for the following:

Please click on the following link to download the Resident's Guide to Emergency Planning:

This page provides contact details for emergencies such as major incidents, floods, power cuts and utility faults or failure. The Council has specific duties with regard to emergencies, these are detailed in our Emergency Planning section. If the Council is required to respond and provide services during an emergency, the normal procedure is for the Police to contact the County Council, who will assess the need for the Council to become involved and contact the relevant district. In a major emergency you should contact the Police or the Fire Service in the first instance, who will then make contact with all the relevant organisations. If the emergency is not major (i.e. there is no immediate risk to safety or property) you may find the telephone numbers below useful.