The Bournemouth and Poole Resilience Group

Draft 06/12/2004

AGENDA ITEM 5

BOROUGH OF POOLE

REPORT TO EMERGENCY COMMITTEE

The Bournemouth & Poole Resilience Group (BPRG)

1. PURPOSE OF THE REPORT

1.1. The purpose of this report is to:

a. Advise members of the formation of and work carried out to date by the Bournemouth and Poole Resilience Group (BPRG) in preparation for the requirements of the new Civil Contingencies Act (2004).

2. RECOMMENDATIONS

2.1. Members as asked to support the current and future work of the BPRG in order that the Civil Contingencies Act requirements, and in particular the unique needs of the Bournemouth and Poole conurbation, may be fully met.

3. BACKGROUND - CIVIL CONTINGENCIES ACT

3.1 The Civil Contingencies Act was first published by the Government in June 2003, and gained Royal Ascent on the 18th November 2004. The purpose of the Act is to ensure that the United Kingdom is prepared to deal with any major disruptive challenges that could occur.

3.2. The central thrust of the Act is to ensure the impact of a disaster is lessened by improving the co-ordination of those organisations tasked to respond to such incidents at a local level.

3.3. To this end, the Act directs Local Authorities, The Police Service, The Fire Authority, The NHS Ambulance Trust, The Environment Agency, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the Receiving Hospitals and Primary Care Trusts and the Health Protection Agency to work together as members of “resilience” groups (in Local “Resilience Forums").

3.4. The agencies detailed above are described as “Category One” responders and have six specific duties to perform

Risk Assessment
Emergency Planning Arrangements
Business Continuity Planning
Warning and Informing the Public
Sharing Information
Co-operation and Promotion of Business Continuity Management
(This falls solely to Local Authorities).

3.5. Beneath this group are the “Category Two” responders, namely; suppliers of Electricity, Water, Gas, Telecommunications, Railway Operators, Airports, Harbours and the Health and Safety Executive. They each have a duty to co-operate with Category One responders and share information with them.

3.6. The Government has also established a new regional civil protection tier to act as a "bridge" between central government and local areas. Regional Resilience Teams are already in place in Government Offices, and Regional Resilience Forums have been formed to bring together the key players.

4. RESILIENCE FORUM ARRANGEMENTS - BPRG

4.1. In order to prepare for the requirements of the Act, a Local Resilience Forum specifically for the conurbation has been formed. The Bournemouth & Poole Resilience Group (BPRG) role is that of a "specialist" group, required because of the unique needs of the conurbation, and as such would be a permanent "standing" group whilst still remaining part of the emerging regional and pan-dorset structures.
4.2. Membership of the BPRG consists of:

Dorset Police Divisional Commanders for Poole and Bournemouth (With Bournemouth Divisional Commander as the chair).
Dorset Police HQ (Operations) representative.
Dorset Fire & Rescue Area Managers for Poole and Bournemouth.
EPO’s of Bournemouth and Poole Unitary Authorities.
Director, Health Protection Agency (Dorset and Somerset HPU).
Dorset Ambulance Emergency Planning Officer.
Representatives from both Bournemouth and Poole main receiving hospitals.
Representatives from both Bournemouth and Poole primary care trusts.
Maritime and Coastguard Agency area manager.
Environment Agency representative.

4.3. The aims of the BPRG have been identified as follows:

To focus attention on the risks associated with the Bournemouth and Poole conurbation.

To address and implement best practice across Bournemouth and Poole when addressing these risks.

To meet the challenge of public confidence and reassurance that conurbation agencies were committed to working together.

To develop the opportunity for a “Silver” group specifically for major incidents occurring within the conurbation.

4.4. The initial meeting of the BPRG addressed areas for mutual aid, training and development. An action plan was agreed as follows:

Identify all conurbation risks within an agreed risk database.

Develop table top training exercises to address the response to identified risk scenarios on a priority basis.

Develop an on-line tool with a public domain area and also (protected) member areas.

4.5. It was agreed that, following work on the (primary) emergency services response to incident scenarios, other table top exercises could then be developed for recovery, rest centre establishment, press and media, elected members etc. A target for 2 exercises per year was agreed.

5. WORK DONE TO DATE

5.1. At the time of production of this report, the BPRG formed in July 2004 and has met only twice. The group has nevertheless achieved the following outcomes:

a. A conurbation risk database as been developed which details all areas of
concern to BPRG members.
b. An exercise was conducted on the 24th November to address the first of the
priority areas identified in the risk database (that of incidents occurring involving large capacity nightclubs).
c. An on-line portal tool has been developed, which will provide a “public domain” information source for the conurbation, together with protected “member” areas for information to support the work of various “communities” which will be supported by the BPRG.

5.2. The BPRG portal can be viewed at the following web address:
6. CONCLUSIONS

6.1. The Civil Contingencies Act (2004) directs that “Local Resilience Forums” are formed which comprise of “Category 1” Responders.

6.2. A Bournemouth and Poole Resilience Group (BPRG) has been established, chaired by Dorset Police (Bournemouth Division Commander).

6.3. The aims of the BPRG are to enhance resilience arrangements for the conurbation in accordance with the new Civil Contingencies Act.

6.4. Work done to date (in a short period of time) has been the formulation of a conurbation risk database, addressing the risks by way of exercises on a priority basis, and the production of an on-line tool that will support the workings of the group, and the “client” communities that will develop from the work of the BPRG over time.

GRAHAM CHAPLIN

EMERGENCY PLANNING OFFICER

HOUSING AND COMMUNITY SERVICES