Resilience in Herefordshire
The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 requires the Local Authority to take up civil protection duties and to ensure greater consistency and cooperation at the local level. It establishes a clear set of roles and responsibilities for those involved in emergency preparation and response at a local level. The main duties are as follows:- Co-operation - working with the other Category 1 and 2 emergency responders within the West Mercia Local Resilience Forum
- Information sharing - exchanging information and plans with other multi-agency responders
- Risk assessment - identifying potential hazards within the local context, assessing the risks and considering how the risks should be managed
- Emergency planning - maintaining and exercising plans for preventing emergencies; reducing, controlling or mitigating the effects of emergencies; and taking other action in the event of emergencies
- Business continuity management - co-ordinating the Authority's plans to ensure it can continue to perform essential functions in the event of an emergency
- Communicating with the public - advising the public of risks before and during an emergency
- Providing business continuity 'advice and assistance' to business and voluntary organisations.
Herefordshire Council Emergency Planning Unit is a member of a local organisation known as the Herefordshire Emergency Response to Major Incidents Team (HERMIT), that helps to promote resilience within the County and its aim being that of 'protecting Herefordshire'. Members of the partnership consist of Category One responders within the West Mercia Local Resilience Forum who are specific to the County of Herefordshire, they are:
- West Mercia Constabulary
- Herefordshire & Worcestershire Fire and Rescue Service
- Herefordshire & Worcestershire Ambulance Service
- Herefordshire & Worcestershire Primary Care Trust
- Herefordshire Hospitals NHS Trust
- Herefordshire Council Emergency Planning Unit (Chair)
- Environment Agency
As well as dealing with the aftermath of a major incident, all of the organisations work together to ensure plans are in place to prepare for and respond to the consequences of an emergency. Agencies regularly test and update these plans to enable them to respond immediately and effectively. HERMIT co-ordinates multi-agency response exercises that reflect potential local threats and hazards specific to Herefordshire .
Civil Contingencies Act 2004
The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 places a responsibility upon leading public bodies to co-operate locally, upon matters of civil resilience. The West Mercia Local Resilience forum has been created to administer the legislation across the Counties of Shropshire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire.
The Act requires responders to undertake risk assessments, maintain them in a Community Risk Register and to publish this register. Risks in this context are those that could result in a major emergency. This Community Risk Register is the first step in the emergency planning process; it ensures that the plans that are developed are proportionate to the risk.
The Community Risk Register for the West Mercia region is currently held on the West Mercia Local Resilience Forum (LRF) website and can be viewed by using the following link to West Mercia Local Resilience Forum.
