Walsall Council’s Resilience Unit is responsible for overseeing the emergency preparedness of the council including educational establishments.
Major emergencies cause disruption and great anxiety to people. By their nature, they are low probability events which cannot be predicted. However, when they happen, the Council needs to respond quickly and to the best of our abilities. This ensures that people’s expectations are met and helps to reassure communities. This being so, effective management is essential in the resolution of a crisis and preparation is vital to the success of the Council’s response.
Definition of an Emergency
An emergency is a situation which:
- Arises with or without warning;
- Causes or threatens death, injury or serious disruption to normal;
- Affects more people than can be dealt with under normal conditions;
- Requires special mobilisation and organisations of resources;
Not all situations are emergencies, an Incident is a situation which:
- Requires the Council to respond in a manner outside its normal, day to day procedures and method of work
- Is limited in scale or area enabling a local response
- Involves one or more Service Areas
Causes of Emergencies Incidents
There are many causes that give rise to such situations and they can be categorised into four areas – Political, Environmental, Social and Technological:
1) Political
Acts of terrorism or acts of a hostile state, public disorder or civil unrest, hostile protest and industrial blockade (e.g. fuel crisis of 2000, public disorder 2011)
2) Environmental
Storms, floods, landslides, hurricanes, snow, drought, earthquake, contamination or pollution of land, water and/or air (e.g. flash floods of 2016)
3) Social
Poisoning or contamination within the food chain, epidemics and health emergencies (e.g. Swine Flu 2009)
4) Technological
Structural damage, industrial transport accidents, release of toxic or radioactive substances, cyber attacks (e.g. Recycling Plant wall collapse 2016)
Overall Council Role:
- Provide support for the emergency services and those engaged in response;
- Provide a wide range of support services to protect the vulnerable in the community;
- Lead the recovery and return to normality;
- Maintain normal services at an appropriate level, commensurate with circumstances.
Local government partnership in emergency planning
Walsall Council works together with these local authorities in the provision of Emergency Planning across the region:
Further information on Walsall Council’s emergency planning capabilities can be found on our website: www.walsallemergencyplanning.co.uk
Contact the Resilience Unit
Lianne Deathridge – Resilience Manager
Telephone 01922 652226
Email: lianne.deathridge@walsall.gov.uk
Sharon Grant - Resilience Officer
Telephone 07464 912 284
Email: sharon.grant@walsall.gov.uk
Sheridan Buckley – Resilience Officer
Telephone 01922 652015
Email: sheridan.buckley@walsall.gov.uk