Many of us plan for emergencies in one way or another.  Some of us may decide to give the spare house keys to a neighbour, we may decide to carry a donor card or keep a First Aid box in the kitchen or even in the car, many people keep a torch near to the electricity meter box or in another handy place.  Most of us hope that we will never need them.

Central Government, Local councils, businesses and other bodies have always made plans, which vary in size and complexity according to their needs.  The amount of emergency planning was usually governed by the size of the organisation and what circumstances could effect their ability to carry on business, so some organisations have well prepared plans, whilst others have smaller plans or none at all.

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 has placed a legal duty on all local authorities to make plans that can deal effectively with emergencies.        

At Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, we train and rehearse regularly with all the Emergency services and the other local authorities within Gwent.  We also train with other less well known organisations and in particular the voluntary agencies in South Wales who provide invaluable expertise and often respond at very short notice. (see related document below)
Today, employers and organisations make plans because it is good business sense, after all, plans help to protect employees and the parent organisation from critical incidents.

Emergency planning involves:

 

• Looking at and assessing the local hazards and threats.
• Taking steps to prevent hazards and threats becoming major incidents.
• Making preparations to respond to major incidents.
• Responding to major incidents when they do occur.
• Carrying on “business as usual” during a major incident.
• Restoring normality in the community, when a major incident has occurred.

As far as we in the Council are concerned, one of our main roles at the outset of an incident is to give support to the emergency services and to provide additional resources to assist in any way that we can.  Following an incident, the Council would then take control of what is called the 'recovery phase' and take whatever action was necessary to ensure that the community was able to return to normality as quickly as possible, even though this could be months or longer.

To make the best use of resources it is essential that all efforts are co-ordinated and we can then provide a swift and efficient response.  Regular reviews, staff training and exercises are vital for effective preparedness and confidence.  In Blaenau Gwent, it is the role of the Civil Contingencies Team to ensure that this happens.

Emergency Plans
The council has an emergency plan that allows for the deployment of services during any major incident or event.  We are available 24 hours a day to ensure that Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council is prepared to respond to any civil emergency and support the community.
Emergency plans often respond to a wide range of major incident scenarios.
The Council's response to any emergency includes some of the following which could be dealt with alone or in partnership with other Authorities and agencies: -

• Immediate temporary shelter.
• Temporary accommodation for evacuees.
• Emotional support for victims, family and friends.
• Information and media support.
• Help lines for affected persons and businesses.
• Interpreting services.
•  Emergency mortuaries.
•  Road closures and diversions. 
• Transport.
•  Plant, machinery and equipment.
•  Building safety inspections.
•  Clearance of debris.
•  Sanitation.
•  Provision of emergency lighting etc.

These are just a few of the issues that are covered by emergency planning.