What we do and how we work
The Civil Contingencies Team within Slough Borough Council is responsible for ensuring the council complies with the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.
Working with all council services and other emergency responders, the team identifies potential risks within the council area. We then prepare the council to respond to emergencies. We do this by liaising across the different services and preparing plans. We check with other agencies, such as the emergency services and our neighbouring councils, to make sure our plans fit well together. These plans are then exercised to ensure they are practical and reflect what is likely to happen if an emergency occurs.
This type of planning is no different to a household making sure they have an escape route in the event of a fire, or having a plan for flooding. They are just on a much larger scale and involve many different agencies.
In addition to writing response plans, the team organises training, emergency exercises and seminar events. This ensures council staff and partner agencies are up-to-date with current emergency plans and ready to respond.
"Risk" sites
We also have a statutory responsibility to plan for incidents at "risk" sites in the area that fall under specific legislation. This legislation includes: Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH) or the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations (REPPIR). These regulations mean we have to plan for these sites and are legally required to regularly exercise those plans.
Working in partnership
The council knows that we cannot respond to any emergency on our own. Instead, we form strong partnerships with other emergency responders, local councils, the Environment Agency and utility companies. By working, planning and exercising together we form a strong alliance. Knowing how other agencies work and their responsibilities is key to working together and being able to respond effectively in a major incident.
Recovery
After an incident, the council will normally be the lead agency in the recovery process. The amount of time that it will take to recover from a major incident will be proportional to the scale of any damage to the community. Incidents such as flooding which can cause widespread devastation for the community could take many months to recover from. The council’s recovery plan covers such scenarios.
The council is also responsible for ensuring that its own critical services can continue to operate during an emergency. The council encourages local businesses to have business continuity plans.