Emergency Planning & The Civil Contingencies

Act, 2004

Nick WillaseyEmergency Planning Officer

Liverpool City Council

IOSH Merseyside Branch1st March 2005

Government Arrangements

• Cabinet Office• Civil Contingencies Secretariat• Specific Civil Defence Grant• Civil Defence Act, 1948• Civil Defence (General Local

Authority Functions) Regulations, 1993

• Civil Contingencies Act, 2004

Kings Cross Underground FireMV BraerManchester IRA Bomb

ChernobylCanary WharfRiver Thames - MarchionessHerald of Free Enterprise

Clapham Rail CrashSea Empress Oil SpillLockerbie

Schipol Air CrashSelby Rail CrashTowyn FloodsPiper Alpha DunblaneWinter Storms 1987/1997Grand National 1997Paddington & Hatfield Rail Crashes The 4 ‘F words …’

Civil Contingencies Act, 2004

• Introduced as a Bill on 7th January 2004

• Royal Assent - 18th November 2004• Regulations & Guidance - March

2005• Implementation - May 2005• CPA starts - October 2005

Civil Contingencies Act, 2004Part 1

Local arrangements for civil protection

Part 2Emergency Powers Legislation

Civil Contingencies Act, 2004

A new definition of ‘emergency’ which must:

• threaten serious damage to human welfare

• threaten serious damage to the environment

• war or terrorism which threatens serious damage to security

Civil Contingencies Act, 2004

• For humans, an event or situation must involve only:– loss of human life– human illness or injury– homelessness– damage to property– disruption of a supply of money, food,

water, energy or fuel– disruption of a system of communication– disruption of facilities for transport– disruption of services relating to health

Civil Contingencies Act, 2004

• For the environment, an event or situation must involve only:

– contamination of land, water or air with biological, chemical or radio-active matter, or

– disruption or destruction of plant life or animal life

Civil Contingencies Act, 2004

• CATEGORY 1 RESPONDERSFire & Rescue ServicePoliceLocal AuthoritiesAmbulance TrustsHospital Trusts (A+E)NHS Foundation TrustsPrimary Care TrustsHealth Protection AgencyPort Health AuthoritiesEnvironment AgencyMaritime & Coastguard Agency

Civil Contingencies Act, 2004

• CATEGORY 2 RESPONDERSElectricity UtilitiesGas UtilitiesWater and Sewerage UtilitiesTelephone providersNetwork RailTrain Operating CompaniesAirport AuthoritiesHarbour and Port AuthoritiesHighways AgencyHSE

Civil Contingencies Act, 2004

• Category 1 Responders will have new statutory duties and powers to jointly or individually:– Risk Assessment - ‘Community Risk

Register’– Emergency Planning– Informing & warning– Business Continuity Planning– Co-operation & Information sharing

Civil Contingencies Act, 2004

• Category 2 Responders will have lesser duties:– Co-operation & Information sharing

between themselves and with Category 1 Responders

The Civil Contingencies Act will require Category 1 Responders to prevent, warn of, mitigate effects of and recover from:

• Major transport accidents• Abnormal weather conditions -

storms, flooding• Chemical incidents - toxic plumes• Disruption of essential services -

Fires, Accidents, Fuel Shortages• Hazardous substances washed

ashore - incl. oil

• Aircraft crashes• Radiation incidents• Major sporting events - evacuations• Dangerous structures• Acts of terrorism• Health risks - infectious diseases,

pandemics

Types of emergency

LOCAL EMERGENCY WITH NOTICE

NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH

NOTICE

LOCAL EMERGECNY WITHOUT NOTICE

NATIONALEMERGENCY

WITHOUT NOTICE

Liverpool CityCouncil

Police

Fire Service

NHS

EnvironmentAgency Flood

Warnings

Adjoining LocalAuthorities

Coastguard

CentralGovernmentDepartments

Met OfficeWarnings

EmergencyPlanning Unit

Civil Contingencies Act, 2004

• Part 2 - Emergency Powers– Infrequent use– Regional emergencies catered for– ‘Losing’ the Sovereign– ‘Triple lock’ assurance

• threat to human welfare, environment or security• existing legislation insufficient or not quickly

available• proposed emergency powers must be

proportionate

Civil Contingencies Act, 2004

• Part 2 - Emergency Powers– In addition, emergency regulations

cannot:• prohibit strikes or industrial action• instigate military conscription• alter any aspect of criminal proceedings• be used to create new offences• must be ‘EU proof’• are open to challenge in the courts

Civil Contingencies Act, 2004

• North West Regional Planning– GONW Regional Resilience Team

(RRT)– GONW Regional Resilience Forum

(RRF)– 5x Local Resilience Forums (LRFs)– County based LRF Sub groups

HM Government Civil Contingencies Secretariat

Emergency Planning Liaison Flowchart

KEY:

Operational Response

Day to Day Liaison

Regional Resilience

Central Government

Local Resilience

Regional Resilience Forum

Government Office North West Regional Resilience Team

Business Working Group

Local Resilience Forum

LA Crisis Management

PLANS

Regional Civil Contingencies Committee

COBRA

Sub Groups

L.A.’s / Blue Light Services

Plans

GOLD Command