Emergency Guidance for Communities
You can follow the guidance on this page, or if you would prefer to download a copy please use the links.
Community Emergency Plan Microsoft Word version
Community Emergency Plan PDF Version
Why do we need a plan?
An emergency can have a significant effect on your community. It will help if you develop the ability to help each other at a local level. This will assist if emergency services are overloaded and will lessen the impact of the emergency on the community. Examples of emergencies that may impact your community include:
- Fire
- Extreme weather
- Flooding
- Utilities failure
- Chemical spill
- Transport collision
This Emergency Guidance is provided as general information about planning for emergencies. It is not intended to replace detailed guidance and planning specific to you and your business. You should consider whether you need to obtain this. To the extent permitted by law, Norfolk County Council and NORMIT excludes any liability arising from the use of the Emergency Guidance and plans.
How could your community be affected?
An emergency can cause:
Death or injury of people
- Loss or damage to:
- Homes, businesses, community buildings
- Road, rail, sea, or air transport networks
- Electricity, telephone, water or gas networks
- Supply of goods and services
- Isolation
- Large scale media focus
The local community in the form of the Parish/Town Council may be involved in a number of ways:
- As casualties
- As first responders
- Providing support to emergency organisations
- Voicing community wishes
- Providing input to community recovery
- Helping to manage Emergency funds
Writing your Community Emergency Plan
Plans should be:
- Simple, clear and concise
- Regularly updated
- Complimentary to the arrangements between Emergency Services, National Health Service, District and County Councils, and other responding agencies.
Although there is no regulatory responsibility for Parish Councils to undertake the writing of an emergency plan, it is good practice to make some preparation for an emergency at a local level.
The planning process involves a number of steps, it is imperative that planning is not undertaken in isolation and the relevant authorities are consulted.
The Plan Template
We have prepared a template that can be used to produce a Community Emergency Plan. Guidance to help complete each of the sections is below. You can download and print out a copy of the template and notes by following the links;
Community Emergency Plan ~microsoft word
Community Emergency Plan ~ pdf
The Template Guide
Use this template guide to complete the plan template that follows. The guide highlights each area of the plan and gives a brief description and reason for its inclusion in the plan.
Complete the information on the front page of the Plan Template.
1. The Emergency Co-ordinator
This person should live locally and provide a vital link between the community and other organisations planning for and responding to an emergency.
The Emergency Co-ordinator’s role is to:
- Develop and maintain the Community Emergency Plan
- Provide a link to the District (Council) Emergency Planning Officer
- Call a community meeting during an emergency (if deemed necessary)
- Provide the focal point for the community response to an emergency.
The Emergency Co-ordinator should:
- Have the backing of the Parish Council to represent their community
- Have a good understanding of the community and surrounding area
- Be willing to speak on behalf of the community.
2. Date
The date identifies when the plan was last updated.
3. Distribution
A distribution list shows who has a copy and ensures that when the plan is updated all existing plans are amended or destroyed.
4. Aim and Objectives
It is vital to state clearly the aim and objectives of the plan. What is it trying to achieve and what steps are to be undertaken to reach the aim?
5. Risk Analysis
Risk is a statement of the chance of something happening that will impact on your objectives. Risk is normally considered in terms of impact and likelihood of a hazard affecting you. By assessing your risks you will be able to prioritise your risk reduction activities.
There are many hazards that may disrupt your community, these include:
- Flooding
- Utility failure (electricity, water, telephones and gas)
- Fire or explosion
- Transport accident
- Extreme weather
The Risk Analysis in the Plan Template lists the hazards to your community, the impact of each hazard, any mitigation in place or possible and the Risk Matrix Score. You will need to consider and add to the table, any additional hazards faced by your community.
| Hazard | In this column list the hazards faced by your community. You will need to add further hazards to this list. |
| Hazard Impact | List the physical disruption that may be caused. Consider any vulnerable
members of the community, i.e. care homes, schools etc.
e.g. Flooding
|
| Mitigation in Place: | List what you currently do that prevents or reduces the likelihood
and or the impact of the hazard on your community?
e.g. Flooding
|
| Mitigation Possible: | List what additional actions can be taken
to prevent or reduce the likelihood or the impact of the hazard on your
community?
e.g. Flooding
|
| Risk Matrix Score: | As described below. |
The Risk Matrix, shown below, helps you identify the higher priority risks for your community. When considering the score you should think about any mitigation currently in place.
By determining the likelihood of the hazard occurring (either high or low), then determining the impact that hazard has on your business, it is possible to rate the risk as A, B, C, or D.
For example:
The likelihood of flooding in your community: LOW (B or D) The impact flooding would have on your community: HIGH (A or B) The resultant score would be: B
When completed, the Risk Analysis shows which are the highest risks to your community. A being the highest priority risks and D being the lower priority risks.
6. Community Resources
What resources are available to support the local community?
How would these resources be accessed? It is important to liaise with the District Council when making any decisions regarding the use of local buildings.
This list should not aim to audit everything that is in the village. It should remain short (1 page or less) and highlight only major resources, e.g.
- Shelter (Village Hall/Scout Hut)
- Transport (4 x 4/tractors)
- Local Voluntary Groups (WRVS/Salvation Army)
7. Communications
Identify how the community can be contacted. Are there members of the community that may require alternative means to contact them? Consider the implications of the Data Protection Act when deciding what personal details you may want to list?
- What methods for sharing information through the community could be used?
- The community may have lost links to the telephone or electricity networks and alternative means of communicating may be required.
- It would be helpful to any responding services to have a means to communicate to a significant amount of the population as quickly as possible.
- Examples of organisations that could provide links into the community might include schools and religious groups.
- In representing the views of the community it is also beneficial to have methods for the community to discuss issues. This may take the form of a page on a community website or an Emergency Community Meeting.
An Emergency Occurs - what do you do?
Sections 8 and 9 of the plan provide an Emergency Action Checklist of actions that may be required in an emergency.
8. Activation and Call out
This section of the template is in the form of a checklist for use during an emergency.
- In the event of an emergency call 999 and ask for the appropriate emergency service.
- The Emergency Co-ordinator should keep your District Council informed.
- Ensure records are kept of all communications and decisions made.
- Following contact with the District Council, other members of the community should be contacted. A system should be agreed to contact members of the community that have a role, for example; key holders, Councillors, Volunteers.
- The Emergency Co-ordinator should consider a Village Emergency Meeting at the earliest opportunity. The meeting should include the widest possible audience to discuss the emergency.
9. Community Emergency Meeting Agenda
The safety of both the meeting site and access to the site should be considered when choosing the meeting location. Detailed minutes should be recorded. The below is only a guide and more items should be added to accurately meet the needs of the emergency.
- Briefing on the current situation, if possible Emergency Services or the District Emergency Planning Officer should undertake this briefing.
- Immediate actions to aid the response to the emergency.
- Actions required in the future to aid community recovery.
- Time and Date of Next meeting.
10. Key Contacts
This contact list should remain at the back of the plan so it is easily updated. It along with the logging sheet are also easily found in an emergency. The contacts should be updated regularly.
11. Logging Sheet
It is essential to keep a log of the actions you have taken during an emergency and at what time. A blank copy of a log sheet is at the end of the Plan Template for use during an emergency.
12. Geographical Map of your Community
Put a map in your Community Plan to show the major facilities and vulnerable groups of people within your community. This can include schools, industrial areas, community buildings, care / nursing homes, etc.
Community Emergency Structure
During a major emergency the Emergency Services will lead the operational response.
As the structure suggests the County and District Councils provide support to the Emergency Services. They also undertake a number of actions specific to them.
The Emergency Co-ordinator for your Parish would enhance the link from the community to the response via the District Council.
