Emergency planning

They work to ensure we meet our responsibilities, which include :

• writing and reviewing local emergency plans
• providing an effective 24 hour, 365 days a year service to help in the management of a major emergency
• co-operating with other responding agencies
• co-ordinating services that we provide that are required as part of the emergency response
• providing emergency transport to move members of the public from the scene of an emergency to a safe location
• setting up assistance centres for those evacuated from the scene of an emergency
• setting up assistance centres, in the aftermath of a major emergency, to act as a focal point for information and assistance to families and friends of those missing, injured or killed
• arranging emergency accommodation should members of the public be evacuated from their homes for a period of time
• continuing to provide critical services to the public in the event of an emergency occurring
• providing emergency information

We are part of the Bedfordshire Local Resilience Forum (BLRF) - in which the emergency services, local authorities, National Health Service and other agencies work together to increase resilience within the county, and ensure responses are co-ordinated across all the agencies.

If there is a major emergency - from identified high risks such as flooding to the unexpected, such as Buncefield - the best possible plans are in place to respond to and aid recovery.

This means if emergencies do happen they have as small an impact as possible on residents and their community, the environment, and the recovery process and return to normality goes as smoothly and quickly as possible.

BLLRFs activities include :

• assessing local risks in order to identify what needs to be planned for
• preparing and testing plans and guidance for all the member organisations
• sharing important information with local organisations to enhance emergency preparedness
• co-ordinating countywide media response with that of other responders
• co-ordination of support from the voluntary agencies
  providing advice and guidance to help communities prepare for emergencies

For more information on BLRF, emergency planning and guidance, please follow this link to the BLRF website. You will also find pages there on how you can prepare for emergencies, become a volunteer, and what support you can expect from the BLRF agencies and organisations.

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