5. Action check sheets
EMERGENCY CO-ORDINATOR – ACTION CHECK SHEET
The Appointment
The On Call Duty Officer will fill this role in the first instance, until relieved by the Chief Executive or nominated officer.
The Task
- Overall co-ordination of the district response
- Liaison with the emergency services
- Obtaining resources
- Maintaining the normal services of the authority
- Dealing with elected members and MPs
- Liaison with central government agencies
- Liaison with other local authorities
- Briefing the media
Initial Actions to Consider
The duty officer (emergency co-ordinator) will assess the situation and determine the initial level of alert/response required:
- Where? What? When? – Confirm all known details of incident/emergency (use the major emergencies card)
- Maintain a Log. Write down everything – it may be needed weeks or months later at a Public Inquiry or similar proceedings.
- Who do you need to contact?
- Has a Major Incident/Emergency been declared, or likely to be declared?
If the answer is NO – Consider the following Actions;
- Is the situation one that the senior management team needs to be contacted?
- Is a Rest Centre required? If so, nominate a suitable Officer to activate and resource a Rest Centre. Ensure the Civil Contingencies Manager is aware of the need for a rest centre and liaise in selecting an appropriate Rest centre in consultation with Devon County Officers.
If the answer is YES – Consider the following Actions:
- By whom? (Declaration of a major incident/emergency will trigger the council emergency response plan)
- Does a specific plan already exist, for example, major incident plan for flooding? If so follow that specific plan.
- Is a rest centre is needed. If so, nominate a suitable officer to activate and resource a rest centre. (Ensure the civil contingencies manager is aware of the need for a rest centre) select an appropriate rest centre from the rest centre list.
- If there is a need to activate the emergency management team?
- What timescale is required for response?
- Is there a need to put staff and resources on stand-by?
- Does the emergency centre need to be activated? If so, nominate an emergency centre manager to activate the centre.
- Is a specialist local authority liaison officer needed? If so, where and who do they need to report to?
- Is support required from the County Council or other Districts? If so, liaise with Devon County duty civil contingencies officer.
Other Actions to consider during the ongoing response phase of the incident
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Consider the legal implications and the availability of legal advice
- Advise all departments involved in the response to keep a record of requests made to them and by them, and of actions taken
- Arrange and chair regular emergency management team briefings
- Brief the head of finance and ensure that any necessary guidance is issued to staff on logging expenditure, for example cost centres and job codes to use.
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Ensure that regular briefings/updates are given to control room staff, telephonists and other personnel dealing with the incident
- Keep the leader of council informed of developments and as necessary any other elected Members
- Support from central government, other local authorities, utilities, MOD and voluntary organisations
- Shift working to deal with the emergency and the need for essential routine work to continue
- Arrangements for visiting VIPs and appeal fund
- Production of the post incident report
COMMUNICATIONS TEAM – ACTION CHECK SHEET
The Appointment
The communications team will fill this role.
The Task
- Manage and co-ordinate the District’s media strategy in conjunction with the Police and other responding agencies.
Initial Actions to consider
- Maintain a log. Write down everything – it may be needed weeks or months later at a public inquiry or similar proceedings.
- Arrange for a member of the team to go to the emergency centre, if required.
- In conjunction with other agencies, determine the need for a media centre and co-ordinate if necessary.
- Arrange for a member(s) of the team to go to the multi-agency media centre (if appropriate)
- Liaise with Devon County’s public relations/media office and the police where necessary to ensure a consistent message is accurately reported.
- Prepare rosters, briefings and debriefings for the communications team staff
- Review press statements of other organisations and monitor news channels
- Brief the emergency management team and agree council strategy
- Agree press statements and process for distribution
- Depending on the severity of the incident liaise with the government news network for a consistent approach.
- Identify a communications team and district council spokesperson(s) (if appropriate)
- Agree methods of communication with the local community
- Arrange all public appearances and statements by elected members and provide update information at regular intervals to elected members as agreed by the police and emergency co-ordinator
- Agree process for briefing and communicating with staff, and other external service partners
- In conjunction with the police, co-ordinate the media arrangements for VIP visits
- Instruct officers not to make ‘on the spot’ comments to the public or the media. All requests for information should be directed to the communications officer.
NOMINATED OFFICER TO MANAGE A REST CENTRE – ACTION CHECK SHEET
The Appointment
A nominated service lead will fill this role (normally the service lead - housing)
The Task
Manage and co-ordinate the arrangements for activating, managing and staffing a small Rest Centre (30 or under)
Initial Actions to consider
- Maintain a Log. Write down everything – it may be needed weeks or months late at a Public Inquiry or similar proceedings.
If they have been moved from their homes:
- Where are they?
- How many are involved?
- Has Devon County civil contingencies unit been informed?
- Who is currently looking after them (school staff, WRVS, local people, Police)?
- How long can they remain there?
- If transport is required agree with the Police a suitable rendezvous point.
- Is there radiation or chemical contamination involved?
If they have not been moved from their homes:
- How long before they must be moved?
- How many are involved?
- Has Devon County civil contingencies unit been informed?
- If they must be moved in the immediate future (say within half hour) ask the Police to select a place of safety with good access
- If transport is required agree with the Police a suitable rendezvous point [RV].
- Is there radiation or chemical contamination involved?
Other Actions to consider
Selecting a rest centre
- You must get permission from the owners before action is taken
- If a large rest centre (over 30) is required consult with the *duty civil contingencies officer
- If the premises are a Devon County Council building, the duty civil contingencies officer will make the arrangements. Otherwise contact the person in charge of the premises and arrange for them to be opened up and heating provided.
- It is important that the person ultimately contacted is able to arrange immediate opening, heating and lighting.
- Activate rest centre volunteers from the county council’s internal volunteers list
Find Additional Staff
In conjunction with the Devon County duty civil contingencies officer call out other agencies as required:
- WRVS
- Red Cross/St John
- Social Services
- Scientific Services
- RSPCA (Pets Corner - warn if Screening and Cleansing required)
- Salvation Army
- British Telecom
- Animal Health (Pets Corner)
- Social Security Benefits (alert only)
If Transport Is Required
- In the first instance contact local resources such as taxi or coach firms
- If numbers are large or if you have difficulty, for example, with out-of-hours numbers, contact the Devon County civil contingencies duty officer
Bedding and clothing
- Local sources will be contacted at the time.
- Vehicles for the collection and delivery of these are available from the streetscene Team or otherwise from a private firm.
- If numbers are large or if you have difficulty, contact the Devon County civil contingencies duty officer.
Emergency feeding
The responsibility for feeding rests with the rest centre manager or their deputy.
Schools:
- Confirm with Devon County civil contingencies duty officer that food is available on-site and that school staff will operate the kitchen. If school staff are not available, check that the WRVS have been called in for the task.
Small hall or other premises:
- If support is needed from the WRVS, contact the Devon County civil contingencies duty officer and request they contact the WRVS on your behalf
- If there is insufficient or no food and drink on the premises, purchase from local shops
- If the shops are shut ask police to rouse the out-of-hours key holder of the shop concerned
Information Required by the WRVS:
- Name of the organisation responsible for the callout
- Nature and location of the emergency
- Type of assistance required (numbers and any special skills)
- Officer (and location) to whom the WRVS Unit should report
- Equipment required
- Whether or not any of the agencies, other than the one calling on their service, has been informed
DISTRICT EMERGENCY CENTRE MANAGER
The Appointment
A nominated Service Lead will fill this role.
The task
- Supervise the establishment and setting up of the district emergency centre
- Manage and co-ordinate the activities of the district emergency centre.
- Supervise and coordinate the work of staff manning the district emergency centre
- Ensure accurate and timely briefings to the emergency management team
Before agreeing to deploy – consider the following
- Are you able/fit to respond
- Are you are fit to drive
- Do you have use of a vehicle - if so, have you got fuel
- What other commitments do you have that may stop you deploying (work/personal)
On agreeing to deploy – ensure you have the following with you;
- Your medication, if applicable
- Your mobile phone, emergency response plan & contact list, pda, laptop.
- Appropriate clothing, money, keys, id card
Initial Actions to consider
- Start a log with outline of incident/threat – where, what, when
- When and where will the Emergency Management Team meet
- What is your own capability;
- Are you local?
- What time will you be able to report in?
- Do you need support from any other members of your team? If so, advise the Emergency Co-coordinator that you will be activating other members of your team to support you.
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM MEMBER
The Appointment
Strategic lead/service lead and nominated service managers will fill this role.
The Task
Manage and co-ordinate the local authority response to a major incident/emergency
Before agreeing to deploy – consider the following
- Are you able/fit to respond
- Are you are fit to drive
- Do you have use of a vehicle - if so, have you got fuel
- What other commitments do you have that may stop you deploying (work/personal)
On agreeing to deploy – ensure you have the following with you;
- Your medication, if applicable
- Your mobile phone, emergency response plan & contact list, PDA, Laptop etc.
- Appropriate clothing, money, keys, ID card
Initial Actions to consider
- Start a log with outline of incident/threat – where, what, when
- When and where will the Emergency Management Team meet
- What is your own capability;
- Are you local ?
- What time will you be able to report in?
- Do you need support from any other members of your team? If so, advise the Emergency Co-ordinator that you will be activating other members of your team to support you.
LOCAL AUTHORITY LIAISON OFFICER
The Appointment
Nominated Service Manager and Technical Officer from Environmental Health, Building Control as appropriate will fill this role.
The Task
- To deploy to a designated location (Silver and/or Bronze) in order to liaise with the Emergency Services and other responding organisations.
- Provide the District and other responding Local Authorities with information about what is happening.
- To anticipate adverse effects on Local Authority services and assets.
- Operate on own initiative to support the Local Authorities in their response.
- Provide Technical advice and guidance to the Emergency Services
Before agreeing to deploy – consider the following
- Are you able/fit to respond
- Are you are fit to drive
- Do you have use of a vehicle - if so, have you got fuel
- What other commitments do you have that may stop you deploying (work/personal)
On agreeing to deploy - ensure you have the following with you:
- Your medication, if applicable
- Your mobile phone, emergency response plan & contact list, PDA, Laptop etc.
- Appropriate clothing, money, keys, ID card (Personal Identification for the Police)
Initial Actions to Consider
- Start a log with outline of incident/threat – where, what, when
- When and where do you need to report?
- Who should you report to on arrival (get name and contact number of Police Officer)
- Will anyone else from the Local Authority be assisting you
- Provide your vehicle details and estimated arrival time – so they can be passed over to the Police
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM MEETINGS
Note: Meetings will last no more than 30 minutes
Standing agenda
- Introductions & confidentiality status
- Situation Reports (from Civil Contingencies Officer, Service Lead, Communications Team)
- Update on current Gold strategy
- Notes of previous meeting and update on action items
- Priority actions for next phase
- Staff information and welfare
- Member involvement
- Media strategy and public information:-
- Key messages
- Concerns
- Spokespersons
- Finance and other resource implications
- Business Continuity if appropriate issues not already covered
- AOB
- Time and place of next meeting, required attendance
Unless otherwise restricted, notes to be circulated the same day