Emergency Planning
Emergency services are provided by the Police, Fire & Rescue and Ambulance Services to deal with everyday emergencies.
In major emergency incidents additional assistance may be required from local authorities which could include provision of temporary accommodation for residents who have been evacuated from their homes as a result of the incident.
The Council works with Hampshire County Council to ensure that emergency plans are co-ordinated and to enable best use of resources.
Detailed information on emergency planning is available on the Emergencies section of the County Council website and on the website of the Civil Contingency Secretariat of the Government Cabinet Office.
Please click on the link below to view a copy of Hart District Council's Emergency Response Plan:
Advice for dealing with Emergencies
Click here for information on adverse weather conditions
Click here for information on flooding
Councillors Guide to Flooding
Click here for hot weather advice
Click here for advice on clearing snow & ice
Local Resilience Forum
Emergency planning in Hampshire is coordinated through a multi-agency group known as the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Resilience Forum (LRF). This group has representation from all the category one responders, which are all the emergency services, local authorities, and health authorities. The LRF has two distinct levels of operation, the Executive Group, looking at policy and direction, and the Business Performance & Review Group developing the policy, plans and procedures. The Executive Group also forms the strategic co-ordinating group during an emergency.
Further information on Hampshire County Council’s role and that of the Local Resilience Forum can be found on the following website: http://www3.hants.gov.uk/emergencyplanning.htm
Major incidents
From time to time, we are faced with major incidents. These may cause (or threaten to cause) harm to people, property or the wider environment, or they may disrupt everyday life in some other way.
The common factor in all these incidents is that they require special co-ordinated action by the emergency services and the local authorities beyond their normal day to day work.
The information below explains the role of Hart District Council in responding to major incidents affecting our area.
How are major incidents handled?
Most major incidents happen suddenly and unexpectedly. However, in some cases, such as severe weather, we may get advanced warning and time to prepare.
The first response to major incidents is usually by the emergency services (Police, Fire, Ambulance). They will assess the situation and decide whether to alert other agencies to help manage the incident. This is where local authorities are often called on to help.
The response to major incidents is normally co-ordinated by the Police, although individual agencies are responsible for their own operations. In Hampshire detailed arrangements are in place for a co-ordinated response to major incidents. These operate at different levels from county-wide strategic co-ordination down to tactical and operational command.
Arrangements are kept under review and are the subject of regular inter-agency training and exercising to test their effectiveness. This involves all the responding agencies given in the list below.
The role of Hart District Council
Our role in a major incident is to support the emergency services and then to help return life to normal as soon as possible.
To achieve this we will:
- respond to requests from the emergency services to assist in response to major incidents;
- mobilise our staff to carry out tasks requested by the emergency services. Depending on the scale and type of incident, this may include:
- establishing an Emergency Control Centre to co-ordinate our response;
- setting up rest centres to provide transport, shelter, food and information to people
- evacuated from the vicinity of a major incident,
- providing advice on the temporary re-housing of people who are unable to return to their homes;
- specialist advice to the public on matters such as public health and structural stability of buildings;
- providing information to the public and the media;
- supplying sandbags in flooding incidents (*see footnote);
- assisting in cleaning up the area affected by a major incident.
- Co-ordinate our response with Hampshire County Council, other local authorities, town and parish councils and the voluntary sector;
- As far as possible, keep our everyday council services running despite diversion of staff and other resources to handling of the incident;
- Take a leading role in helping the community to recover and to return life to normal.
The Hart District Council Emergency Plan is available for download.
We have a mutual aid protocol with other local authorities across Hampshire to assist one another in responding to a major incident. This allows us to ‘borrow’ staff and equipment from other authorities, particularly if we are faced with a prolonged emergency. However, it is important to recognise that the council is not a ‘24/7’ organisation like the emergency services.
Who to contact
If you need to contact us as a direct result of a civil emergency please telephone 01252 622122
If you would like further information on how Hart District Council responds to major incidents call 01252 774243/774126 or e-mail: EmergencyPlanning@hart.gov.uk
In a major incident, we may set up special contact arrangements such as telephone helplines. These will be widely publicised through local press, radio and TV at the time.
Emergency Telephone Contact Numbers
- Police -In emergency 999, ask for ‘Police’ otherwise 101
- Fire - In emergency 999, ask for ‘Fire’ otherwise 0845 130 88 55
- Ambulance - In emergency 999, ask for ‘Ambulance’ otherwise 01273 489444
- Environment Agency - Floodline: 0845 988 1188
- Hampshire County Council - Emergency Planning Unit 01962 846846
- Southern Electricity - Power failures and emergencies 0800 783 8866
- Transco - Gas leaks and emergencies 0800 111 999
- Southern Water - 0845 278 0845
Useful links:
www.ukresilience.info/
Civil Contingencies Secretariat - Information about a wide variety of emergencies and crises that can affect the UK plus emergency planning guidance.
www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/flood/
The Environment Agency – information about flooding.
www.pfe.gov.uk
HM Government 'Preparing for Emergencies' - what you need to know website.
