Previous ‘Cold War Era’ Legislation   |   Changing Times & the Civil Contingencies Act   |   The Civil Contingencies Act and Nottingham City Council

Introduction

Most of us plan for emergencies.  We may give spare keys to neighbours carry a donor card or first aid kit, even if we don’t expect a problem.  Local Authorities also plan for the worst, but on a larger scale.

Emergency planning involves assessing risks and where possible mitigating them, tackling major emergencies, carrying on business as usual and restoring normality afterwards.

The emergency services, local authorities, businesses, voluntary groups and many other bodies all produce plans to deal with any form of major incident.  They are all based on the concept of ‘integrated emergency management’.  Plans should be flexible and focused on the response to an incident rather than its cause; arrangements should be built into the organisation’s everyday working structure; the activities of different departments should be integrated, and arrangements should be co-ordinated with those of other agencies.

The common objectives of an integrated response are to:

• save life
• prevent escalation
• relieve suffering
• safeguard the environment
• protect property
• facilitate investigation and enquiries
• inform the public
• promote self-help and recovery
• restore normality as soon as possible.

Nottingham City Council has been actively planning and preparing, as detailed above, for many years.

Boat stuck against Trent Bridge