Emergency Planning Home
Emergency Planning
Emergency services are provided by the Police, Fire & Rescue and Ambulance Services to deal with everyday emergencies.
Major emergency incidents may require additional assistance from local authorities which could include temporary accommodation for residents who have been evacuated from their homes as a result of the incident.
Detailed information on emergency planning is available on these pages of the Council website and on the website of the Civil Contingency Secretariat of the Government Cabinet Office.
SussexLocal Resilience Forum
Emergency planning in West and East Sussex is coordinated through a multi-agency group known as the Sussex Local Resilience Forum (SRF). This group has representation from all the the emergency services, local authorities, and health authorities. The SRF 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 Sussex Local Resilience Forum can be found on the following website: …. http://www.sussexemergency.info/about-us/sussex-resilience-forum
Major incidents
From time to time major incidents may cause or threaten to cause harm to people, property or the wider environment, or they may disrupt everyday life in some other way. These incidents require special co-ordinated action by the emergency services and the local authorities beyond their normal day to day work.
The first response to major incidents is usually by the emergency services: Police, Fire or Ambulance. They will assess the situation and decide whether to alert other agencies to help manage the incident.
The response to major incidents is normally co-ordinated by the Police, although individual agencies are responsible for their own operations.
The role of Arun District Council
The Council’s 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 the Council will:
-respond to requests from the emergency services to assist in response to major incidents
-mobilise 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 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;
-assisting in cleaning up the area affected by a major incident.
-Co-ordinate our response with West Sussex 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.
There is much you can do to help yourself to protect your safety.
When a major emergency occurs, apart from a fire within the building you occupy, and if you are not involved in the incident but are close by or believe you may be in danger, the advice is to:
Go in a safe building
Stay in until you are advised to do otherwise
Tune into local radio or TV for more information
Local Radio Stations
Splash FM 107.7 FM
Spirit FM96.6 & 102.3FM
BBC Southern Counties Radio95.3 FM
What you need to know
The government has produced an information booklet called “Preparing for Emergencies – What you need to know” which has been delivered to every household in the UK.
The booklet gives practical advice on what to do in an emergency – for example, a fire, terrorist attack or natural disaster - and you can find it by following this link
Another Useful link is to the Environment Agency information about flooding.
More advice is available on the links: