UK Emergency Planning and Disaster Planning - Coursework Example

UK emergency planning and disaster planning Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 List of figures 3 1.0 Introduction 4 1.1 Key organizations in the UKs emergency planning and response 4 1.1.1 Category 1 responders 4 Figure 1: Category 1 responders 5 1.1.2 Category 2 responders 7 Figure 2: Category 2 responders 7 1.1.3 The voluntary sector 8 1.2 Conflict and deficiencies in the UK emergency planning and response 8 1.3 Recommendations for improvements 10 1.4 Conclusion 12 References 13 List of figures Table of Contents 2 List of figures 3 1.0 Introduction 4 1.1 Key organizations in the UKs emergency planning and response 4 1.1.1 Category 1 responders 4 Figure 1: Category 1 responders 5 1.1.2 Category 2 responders 7 Figure 2: Category 2 responders 7 1.1.3 The voluntary sector 8 1.2 Conflict and deficiencies in the UK emergency planning and response 8 1.3 Recommendations for improvements 10 1.4 Conclusion 12 References 13 1.0 Introduction The United Kingdom (UK) more than ever before is experiencing a number of threats to its citizens, peace and property1. In mid 2017, there was a reported bomb attack in a concert in Manchester that led to loss of lives equal to the magnitude of the Grenfell tower fire tragedy in London. The country has drafted both policy and legislations governing civil disasters through the Civil Contingencies Act of 200423. Where people’s lives and property is in danger, the Act provides measures and guidelines to handle all sorts of disasters whether man-made or natural. Planning and implementation of safety procedures rests with different organizations including category 1 and 2 responders as well as the voluntary sector4. This report identifies the organizations involved in disaster management and analyzes the key elements of potential conflict to disaster resolution. Finally, it evaluates the response procedures, guidance documents and inter-agency working teams. This is meant to assess the UKs Emergency Planning arrangements and identify deficiencies while making recommendations to improvements that can be made. 1.1 Key organizations in the UKs emergency planning and response 1.1.1 Category 1 responders The UK government recognizes Category 1 responders are the first contact organizations and institution to respond to emergencies and threats as shown in figure 1 below. They include emergency services, local authorities and other agencies such as National Hospital Service and the Environmental agency. Figure 1: Category 1 responders The organizations shown above are further elaborated in the table below. Emergency services Police The police Chief commander leads and directs local disasters5. He/she defines a response strategy and coordinates interagency responses. In the case of Manchester concert bombing in May 2017 the police were involved in the primary response of saving lives. Again, in the Grenfell tower fire in June 2017, the police provide means of evacuation and facilitated movement of fire and rescue teams. Fire and rescue This team develops and coordinates advisory framework for large scale incidences. The 2014 Somerset floods and the 2007 Gloucestershire floods were catastrophic as it involved loss of lives and property. The Cabinet Office was responsible for notifying the Fire and Rescue teams on the nature of response to be made6. Ambulance services Ambulance units such as the NHS and St. John provides preliminary treatment through First Aid as they make their way to NHS trusts for treatment of injured persons. The services managed to treat and deliver about 400 people to London hospitals in 2005 train bombing7 and 450 people in the 2017 Grenfell tower fire. Besides, the offer operational, strategic control, and tactical support for NHS casualty assessment. Maritime and Coastguard Agency Their role is to handle civil aviation duties and pollution control along the shore lines and rivers. They also initiate and coordinate search and rescue in civil maritime areas. The HM Coastguard managed to rescue two people trapped in Butt of Lewis and lifted them to the Western Isles hospital within 24 hours in April of 20148. British Transport Police The police unit offers civil protection by deploying capabilities and detailed callout procedures. With command rooms and control systems, the support rail transport and risk assessment using their command capacities and control. Local authorities County and borough councils These institutions prepare and respond to major emergencies that affect the UK counties. In a two-tier system, it serves the emergency needs of counties and borough councils. These units provide emergency recoveries, primary humanitarian and welfare support for the local communities9. They business continuity management is formulated with the assistance of voluntary organizations10. As well, some counties such as Lancashire and Lower Manchester work closely with health agencies and other relevant agencies. Unitary authorities Blackpool and Blackburn are some of the authorities that have resilience forums and emergency planning teams. While providing social care services, they liaise and cooperate with independent providers, specialist teams, NHS, the NGOs and support the ‘Gold’ centre in training and counseling. Some of these authorities also partner with health visitors, general physicians and voluntary agencies. It can be recalled that in the 2015 Bosley factory fire, Staffordshire resilience forum developed the list of affected persons. Eight years earlier, a number of unitary authorities had intervened in saving lives in the Worcestershire floods. NHS and other agencies NHS provides healthcare to victims, delivery assistance to hospitals, psychological support and specialist mental care. Working closely with the Health Protection Agency, NHS provides specific information on the health of the population or residents. HPA prevents diseases spread and decontamination of sites while NHS will treat injured persons. NHS was highly involved in the treatment of over 500 victims of the Grenfell tower tragedy and the bomb attack at Manchester. In the floods case and oil spills, HPA and other environmental agencies share information and cooperate with the voluntary sector11. Environmental agencies are tasked with mitigating pollution, performing river water abstraction and monitoring air quality. They counter environmental contamination through remediation and recovery options. 1.1.2 Category 2 responders The Category 2 responders are involved in any incidents and emergencies that affect any sector of the economy and are not necessarily at the heart of the planning work. These responders include utility companies, transport companies and other agencies as shown in figure 2 below. Figure 2: Category 2 responders As shown in the figure 2 above, utility companies include water, gas, electricity and telecommunications companies who provide alternative means of sustaining livelihoods once the disaster disconnects the mainstream utilities. Working closely with Category 1 responders, these organizations prepare lists of help registers to be shared among the responding organizations12. Buses and trains have been used as faster means of evacuation of the population to safety while helicopters are used to airlift trapped person especially during floods. The strategic health authority (SHA) and the health and safety executive (HSE) provide rules and regulations on construction work, safety and provision of health facilities in the era of spiraling population. 1.1.3 The voluntary sector The UK’s voluntary sector is robust and diverse in their roles in emergency and response planning. In most of the disasters and emergencies, the common volunteers are Salvation Army, St. John Ambulance, the British Red Cross, the CRUSE Bereavement Care and the Victim Support Services as well as individual volunteers and charities. Voluntary sector capabilities are recognized in the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 as local responders in emergency planning. Voluntary organizations and individual volunteers are involved in integrated operational and support activities under the already prepared plans13. Individuals mainly emerge as Samaritans, interpreters, and members of the community faith representatives to deliver support to the statutory authority and meet the needs of persons in crisis. Yet, when dealing with other responders, this group may require the help of other responders to offer practical support, information services and psycho-social support. On information services, the offer training and communication while on medical care, they support the NHS in welfare as well as auxiliary role in hospitals, emergency feeding centres, First Aid activities and ambulance support services14. In reality, volunteers are crucial in providing sign-posting, networks and websites, refreshments, care of children and pets, documentation and in provision of emotional support. Many people volunteered to remove trapped persons in the Grenfell tower tragedy and acted with solidarity in the Manchester bomb attack. In 2014, volunteers created a website where people could offer help and support to the flood victims. Many volunteers have specific skills and training in emergency responses, counseling and bereavement care to victims and families15. Sometimes, the volunteer provide equipment for search and rescue as well as cooperating with the search and rescue services16. 1.2 Conflict and deficiencies in the UK emergency planning and response Category 1 and 2 responders are mandated under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 to cooperate and share information relating to major accidents and disasters in the UK. Working as a team in a multi-agency environment is critical in pursuing noble actions in an emergency situation17. On the contrary, emergency planning and response in the UK has its own challenges and shortcomings. First, the UK emergency system is more of an emergency response reacting to disasters as they emerge instead of being a planning and management unit. Second, the expectations of the stakeholders especially the UK emergency practitioners and the public vary leading to mistrust and disappointment. For example, allocation of emergency planning funds and application of measures always revives the ‘principal-agent conflict’. In reality, the UK exchequer allocates meager financial resources to disaster planning and management while considering only disaster relief services18. This wanes the collectiveness of responding and covering the disasters as they happen. In a way, budgetary constrains has been the reason for resource shortages, confusions and loss of lives and property at the wake of disasters. Thirdly, communication between category 1 and 2 responders has not been without hitches. In past disasters, technical problems and lack of radio capacity to communicate has been reported. Furthermore, a reserve website for information on missing persons, insurance claims and communications on utilities usually gets jammed. In large scale operations, many responders lack a standard way of communicating with little interpretation of jargons19. For example, the interoperability of radios and use of words like confluence and tributaries in communicating areas like roads and car parks could not be understood quickly and easily by residents affected like in the case of the 2005 London railway bombing. This misunderstanding is often witnessed between the British Transport Police, London Metropolitan Police, transport companies and the volunteer units. Fourthly, utility companies rarely get full requirements and details required to combat disasters owing to strict import duties and high tariffs incurred when importing emergency equipments. The UK bid laws and ordering procedures are bureaucratic and cumbersome to handle situations like oil spills at the time of need20. Fifthly, failure to demonstrate leadership and openness in handling other responders complicates emergency situations. The key responding agencies such as the London Ambulance Services felt that their activities were frustrated by the London Police when reacting to the 2005 London Railway bombing. In the current times, NHS trusts feel intense pressure to respond to treatment of patients under increased frequencies of disasters such as the Grenfell tower fire, Manchester bomb attack and terror attacks as well as population boom. Furthermore, the existence of privacy laws comes in the way of legal and structural barriers that limit sharing of information among families and victims21. As a result, it strains the Silver and Gold command units while creating inconsistencies, contradictions and confusion. For example, civil liberties were overlooked in the entire response plan of the 2007 Somerset floods22. In this case, the Fire and Rescue team were forced to consult with self-help groups and local healthcare to identify the victims of the disaster. This happened despite the ability of the Cabinet Office to circumvent data protection laws in providing identity of persons in a disaster environment. Inaccuracies and rumors easily come by where the government fails to provide preliminary information on an incident23. In addition, the UK emergency planning and response units are heavily fragmented and complicated to an extent that decision making becomes difficult24. Most organizations are forced to depend on individuals and certain organizational cultures with partial socio-political and behavioral patterns. Moreover, mixed signals are sent to the central government and the Cabinet Office where there is illogical dependencies on critical infrastructure, understanding of location and poor mapping of vulnerabilities. Risk assessments and warnings can be misinterpreted by the Fire and Rescue services making it even harder for the general public. With good coordination in the 2005 London bombing exhibited, the coordination of Gloucestershire floods was poor25. 1.3 Recommendations for improvements Training responders: The gap in communication and relationships between category 1 and 2 responders and the voluntary sector requires a collective forum to address inconsistencies26. This should involve communication infrastructure and common language27. As well, training and development of fire and rescue services require constant drills and skits on responses to sirens, loudhailers, public address systems and door-to-door calls. This report recommends the following; a) Decentralizing emergency services: The Cabinet Office should move the roles of Gold command centres in auto-detection of agencies involved and connecting to local remote centres. b) Increasing human capital at NHS: NHS is at the centre of treating injured persons from disasters. More medical staff should be deployed to the various NHS trust around the country. Furthermore, they should have the necessary skills and qualifications in handling emergency situations. c) Involving responders in the earliest time: Multiple agencies need to collaborate in reducing the impact of disasters on people, communities and property. Such requires effective coordination and cooperation from all sectors and responders. d) Improving logistics and community records access: Communities lack updated and accurate records on residents and their personal details. It is important that accurate records be availed to category 1 responders to be able to provide alternative shelter and utilities for the displaced persons. e) Increasing emergency budget: Agencies involved in disaster planning and management should have adequate financial backup in for better resource management and authority. More realistic plans should be developed involving a team of supervisors, politicians and managers who are mandated to formulate and implement disaster management and formal plans28. f) More government support: There is need to support local resilience forums and provide them with broader planning and emergency preparedness. This support should be equally provided in all the UK regions in the UK. g) Early warning and communication equipment: The public are more vulnerable during disasters especially where they did not have adequate information. Instances such as floods, typhoons and fires require community resilience using signage and other communication gadgets. 1.4 Conclusion Key organizations involved in disaster management are Category 1 and 2 responders and also the voluntary sector. Category 1 includes the emergency services, local authorities, NHS and other agencies. This group is tasked with primary response to emergency disasters by offering first aid, evacuation and treatment of injured persons. Category 2 responders work closely with Category 1 responders in bringing medical attention and care during emergencies. The deficiencies in inter-agency management structures involve lapse in communication, budget constraints and poor coordination of disaster management activities. Guided by the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, the documents involved in disaster management spells out the activities of the responders, procedure of response and teamwork in inter-agency planning and coordination. References 1. Cabinet Office (2013). Guidance: Preparation and planning for emergencies: responsibilities of responder agencies and others; Westminster: House of Commons 2. Cabinet Office (2013a). National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies; Available online: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/211867/Natio nalRiskRegister2013_amended.pdf ; Accessed on 10/07/2015 3. Civil Contingencies Act, 2004 http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2004/36/pdfs/ukpga_20040036_en.pdf. 4. Civil Contingencies Secretariat (2009). The Lead Government Department and it role- Guidance and best practice. Available online: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/132844/lgds.pdf . Accessed on 10/07/2015 5. Kapucu, N. (2014). Emergency and Crisis Management in the United Kingdom: Disasters Experienced, Lessons Learned, and Recommendations for the Future. Department of Public Administration, University of Central Florida. 6. Cabinet Office (2012). Revision to Emergency preparedness, p.51. 7. Cabinet Office (2013b). Preparation and planning for emergencies: responsibilities of responder agencies and others. UK government. https://www.gov.uk/preparation-and-planning-for-emergencies-responsibilities-of-responder-agencies-and-others 8. London Ambulance Services (2015a). London bombings in 2005, NHS Trusts. http://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/about_us/what_we_do/dealing_with_major_incidents/london_bombings_in_2005.aspx 9. London Ambulance Services (2015b). London Bombings in 2005, http://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/about_us/what_we_do/dealing_with_major_incidents/london_bombings_in_2005.aspx. 10. Maritime Coastguard Agency (2014 April 18). Pressure vessel capsizes at Bideford, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pleasure-vessel-capsizes-at-bideford. 11. Lancashire County Council (2014). Lancashire County Council – Emergency Planning service. http://www3.lancashire.gov.uk/corporate/web/?siteid=5615&pageid=30944. 12. Donelly, L. & Malnick, E. (2015). A&E crisis: soaring numbers of hospitals declare incidents. 6th January 2015. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/11327733/AandE-crisis-seven-hospitals-declare-major-incidents.html 13. Lee, A.C., Challen, K., Gardois, P., Mackway-Jones, K., Carley, S.D., Phillips, W., Booth, A., Walter, D. & Goodacre, S. (2012). Emergency Planning in Health: Scoping study of the international literature, local information resources and key stakeholders. NIHR Service Delivery and Organization Programme. http://www.netscc.ac.uk/hsdr/files/project/SDO_FR_09-1005-03_V01.pdf. 14. Environment Agency (2014). Volunteers contribution to flood resilience, Research report. http://evidence.environment-agency.gov.uk/FCERM/Libraries/FCERM_Project_Documents/Volunteers_extended_summary.sflb.ashx. 15. HM Government (2014). A detailed guide to roles and responsibilities in humanitarian assistance, UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/61223/ha_rolesandresponsibilities.pdf. 16. http://media.aws.stwater.co.uk/upload/pdf/The_Final_Gloucester_2007_Report.pdf 17. National Audit Office (2003). Facing the challenge: NHS Emergency Planning in England. Health and Social Care. http://www.nao.org.uk/report/facing-the-challenge-nhs-emergency-planning-in-england/ 18. Rivera, J. & Miller, D. (2011). Comparative Emergency Management: Examining Global and Regional Responses to Disasters; CRC Press: London 19. Cabinet Office (2013c). Responding to emergencies: The UK central government response-Concept of Operations. Chapter 6: Arrangements in England. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/192425/CONOPs_incl_revised_chapter_24_Apr-13.pdf 20. Cabinet Office (2011). Role of Voluntary Sector, Chapter 14, Revision to emergency preparedness. Civil Contingencies Act Enhancement Programme, https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/61037/Chapter-14-role-of-voluntary-sector-amends-10112011.pdf 21. Maritime and coastguard agency (2015). Five airlifted from sea, January 20th 2015, Press office. http://hmcoastguard.blogspot.com/2015/01/five-airlifted-from-sea.html 22. HM Government (2014). UK floods 2014: Government response and recovery, February 14th 2014. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-floods-2014-government-response. 23. Western Morning news (2014). Police urge residents in Somerset village of Moorland to evacuate after water level rises by one metre. February 7th 2014. http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Police-urge-residents-Somerset-evacuate- water/story-20579878-detail/story.html 24. Stewart, G., Kolluru, R., & Smith, M. (2009). Leveraging public-private partnerships to improve community resilience in times of disaster. International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, 39:343-364. 25. Cabinet Office (2005). Civil Contingencies Act 2004: A short guide (revised). Civil Contingencies Secretariat. http://www.essex.gov.uk/Your-Council/Local-Government- Essex/Documents/15mayshortguide.pdf 26. London Ambulance Services (2015). London bombings in 2005, NHS Trusts. http://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/about_us/what_we_do/dealing_with_major_incidents/london_bombings_in_2005.aspx 27. Phelan, T. (2008). Emergency Management and Tactical Response Operations: Bridging the Gap. Butterworth-Heinemann: London 28. Loffler, J. & Klann, M. (2009). Mobile Response: Humanitarian information management and systems, Springer-Verlag. P. 12-21. https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=zlnWcVztTwQC&pg=PA7&lpg=PA7&dq=category+2+responders+in+UK+floods&source=bl&ots=cFsvHwDZDX&sig=GCVzDaY7BAYxci85keYI6KHsSXo&hl=en&sa=X&ei=h26fVeSVIcmPyASsw4GoDQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=category%202%20responders%20in%20UK%20floods&f=false 29. Stron, K.J. & Eyerman, J. (2008). Interagency Coordination: Lessons learned from the 2005 London Train Bombings. NIJ Journal, Vol. 3, no. 261, pp. 28-31. 30. O'Brien, G. & Read, P. (2005). Future UK emergency management: new wine, old skin?; Disaster Prevention and Management, 14(3): 353-361. 31. Sylves, R. (2014). Disaster Policy and Politics: Emergency Management and Homeland Security; CQ Press: New York  32. Eide, A.W., Haugstveit, I.M., Halvorsrud, R., Skjetne, J.H. & Stiso, M. (2013). Key challenges in multi-agency collaboration during large-scale emergency management, SINTEF ICT, Oslo, Norway. http://ceur-ws.org/Vol-953/paper5.pdf Read More

Yet, when dealing with other responders, this group may require the help of other responders to offer practical support, information services and psycho-social support. On information services, the offer training and communication while on medical care, they support the NHS in welfare as well as auxiliary role in hospitals, emergency feeding centres, First Aid activities and ambulance support services14. In reality, volunteers are crucial in providing sign-posting, networks and websites, refreshments, care of children and pets, documentation and in provision of emotional support.

Many people volunteered to remove trapped persons in the Grenfell tower tragedy and acted with solidarity in the Manchester bomb attack. In 2014, volunteers created a website where people could offer help and support to the flood victims. Many volunteers have specific skills and training in emergency responses, counseling and bereavement care to victims and families15. Sometimes, the volunteer provide equipment for search and rescue as well as cooperating with the search and rescue services16. 1.2 Conflict and deficiencies in the UK emergency planning and response Category 1 and 2 responders are mandated under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 to cooperate and share information relating to major accidents and disasters in the UK.

Working as a team in a multi-agency environment is critical in pursuing noble actions in an emergency situation17. On the contrary, emergency planning and response in the UK has its own challenges and shortcomings. First, the UK emergency system is more of an emergency response reacting to disasters as they emerge instead of being a planning and management unit. Second, the expectations of the stakeholders especially the UK emergency practitioners and the public vary leading to mistrust and disappointment.

For example, allocation of emergency planning funds and application of measures always revives the ‘principal-agent conflict’. In reality, the UK exchequer allocates meager financial resources to disaster planning and management while considering only disaster relief services18. This wanes the collectiveness of responding and covering the disasters as they happen. In a way, budgetary constrains has been the reason for resource shortages, confusions and loss of lives and property at the wake of disasters.

Thirdly, communication between category 1 and 2 responders has not been without hitches. In past disasters, technical problems and lack of radio capacity to communicate has been reported. Furthermore, a reserve website for information on missing persons, insurance claims and communications on utilities usually gets jammed. In large scale operations, many responders lack a standard way of communicating with little interpretation of jargons19. For example, the interoperability of radios and use of words like confluence and tributaries in communicating areas like roads and car parks could not be understood quickly and easily by residents affected like in the case of the 2005 London railway bombing.

This misunderstanding is often witnessed between the British Transport Police, London Metropolitan Police, transport companies and the volunteer units. Fourthly, utility companies rarely get full requirements and details required to combat disasters owing to strict import duties and high tariffs incurred when importing emergency equipments. The UK bid laws and ordering procedures are bureaucratic and cumbersome to handle situations like oil spills at the time of need20. Fifthly, failure to demonstrate leadership and openness in handling other responders complicates emergency situations.

The key responding agencies such as the London Ambulance Services felt that their activities were frustrated by the London Police when reacting to the 2005 London Railway bombing. In the current times, NHS trusts feel intense pressure to respond to treatment of patients under increased frequencies of disasters such as the Grenfell tower fire, Manchester bomb attack and terror attacks as well as population boom.

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