Bridgend County Borough Council
Major Incident
Plan
Emergency Planning
Communities Directorate
Bridgend County Borough Council
June 2012
Version 2 (Web):
1
CONTENTS
Contents …………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Foreword ………………………………………………………………………………… 4
Preface …………………………………………………………………………………….5
 Background
 Plan Development
Updates & Amendments ………………………………………………………………..6
SECTION 1 – Preparing for Emergencies…………………………………………….7
 Aim
 Objectives
 Bridgend County Borough Council - Emergency Response
 Civil Contingencies Act & Business Continuity
 Risk
 Recovery
 Mutual Aid
 Government Assistance
SECTION 2 – Principles in Emergency Response ……………………………….. 10
 Multi-agency response structure: Strategic, Tactical & Operational
 At the incident scene: inner & outer cordons, Forward Control Point
 BCBC emergency response structure
 General Standby, Activation & stand down procedures
 Logging & Record keeping
 Debriefing
SECTION 3 – Internal Response …………………………………………………….. 12
 Emergency Plans
 Emergency Incident Control arrangements
 Director Responsibilities.
 Emergency Planning Liaison Officer (EPLO)
 Training & Exercising
 Directorate Emergency Plans
 Departmental key roles & responsibilities
 Additional services
 Elected Members
2
SECTION 4 – Roles & responsibilities of external agencies…………………….18
 South Wales Police
 South Wales Fire & Rescue Service
 Welsh Ambulance Service Trust
 Coal Industry
 Environment Agency Wales
 Local Health Board – University Abertawe Bro-Morgannwg
 Maritime & Coastguard Agency
 Military H.M. Forces
 Public Health Wales
 Telecoms
 Utility companies
 Voluntary Agencies
 Welsh Government
APPENDICIES
Appendix A – Recovery Strategy …………………………………………………….. 25
Appendix B – Glossary of terms..………………………………………………………27
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FOREWORD
Bridgend County Borough Council recognises that although major incidents or disasters are very
rare, they can strike suddenly and unexpectedly often with devastating effect. Whatever their
cause we need to be prepared should the unexpected happen.
The Council has a duty to respond to the needs of the community following an emergency and
assist the emergency services in their response. It follows that we have a clear responsibility to
maintain plans to ensure we are prepared to respond effectively to such an emergency.
This edition of Bridgend County Borough Council’s Major Incident Plan reflects the current
structure of the Council; key principles in emergency management; and the responsibilities
placed on the Council by the Civil Contingencies Act (2004).
The Plan outlines the procedures we have to enable the Council to respond effectively to
emergencies occurring within the County Borough, whilst ensuring best efforts are made to
continue the delivery of key services as far as practicable.
All members of staff that may be called on in the event of an emergency must be familiar with
the contents of this plan and the supporting Directorate Emergency Plans. I commend this
document to you and ask that you read it and attend any associated training or briefing events
connected with it.
Dr. Jo Farrar
Chief Executive
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PREFACE
Background
This document is known as the Major Incident Plan (M.I.P.) and completes Bridgend
County Borough Council’s emergency response arrangements. It is supported by two
other main Council plans which contain detailed information in dealing with, and
recovering from, a major emergency –
 Emergency Incident Control (E.I.C.) plan: which co-ordinates the Council’s
immediate response management to the most serious disasters.
 Recovery Plan: this outlines the processes and working arrangements required to
deal with the on-going recovery phase.
Plan Development
The Major Incident Plan has been developed to help the Council in preparing to respond
to a major disaster - taking into account duties imposed by the Civil Contingencies Act
(2004) and supporting government guidance. It is divided into four sections:
SECTION 1: Outlines the requirement to develop response arrangements, briefly
describes how potential hazards have been identified, and introduces the Council’s
Recovery Strategy and signposts sources of external assistance.
SECTION 2:
Briefly explains general emergency response arrangements.
SECTION 3: Explains the Councils emergency structure, summarises emergency
responsibilities of key service areas, lists the type of plans the Authority has in place as
well as resources & services BCBC are able to provide in an emergency.
SECTION 4:
Briefly describes the roles and responsibilities of external partner
organisations such as the emergency services, health bodies and the voluntary sector in
the event of a major emergency.
APPENDICIES: The appendices at the back of the document include reference to more
detailed information as referenced in the main text.
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UPDATES & AMENDMENTS
No:
Date of Amendment Amended by
Reason for amendment
01
February 2005
CD
02
December 2005
JC & KM
03
November 2007
KM
04
November 2008
JC & KM
Directorate changes and introduction of CC
Act
Reformatting of plan, insert contacts list and
deleted non non-essential information.
Reformatting of plan to take holistic view of
BCBC’s response.
Inclusion of Recovery and mutual aid information.
05
Jan & Feb 2010
JC
Review of entire document and contents.
06
May & June 2012
LF & JC
Review and update contents for web version
.
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SECTION 1 – Preparing for Emergencies
1.0. Aim
The aim of this plan is to outline BCBC’s emergency response arrangements and key
roles & responsibilities in response to a MAJOR INCIDENT.
1.1. Objectives
The objectives of this plan are:
 to identify key departmental responsibilities in emergency response
 to describe the multi agency response structure
 to briefly outline roles and responsibilities of partner agencies
 to specify arrangements for the call out of BCBC services
 to prevent duplication of effort
1.2. BCBC and Emergency Response
BCBC has a general duty of care to maintain public services and to assist local residents
in distress and will “care for” the population in emergency situations. The council will also
assist in co-ordinating any voluntary organisations involved.
The Council’s response to an emergency may range from one directorate providing
assistance to a few householders affected, e.g.: by flooding, to a major commitment to
provide assistance to the wider community. In a major emergency situation the main role
of the Council is initially to support the Emergency Services and later take the lead for
restoration and rehabilitation, which is also known as the ‘’Recovery’’ phase.
Although reference is made to ‘Major Incidents’ (see Appendix B for definition) it is
recognised that other emergency situations may cause considerable damage to property
or the environment but pose no apparent threat to life and limb. This plan is intended to
be sufficiently flexible to cope with lesser situations and does not seek to usurp the
authority normally vested in other various disciplines but rather to ensure that there is coordination of effort to assist a speedy and effective conclusion when invoking emergency
procedures.
1.3. Civil Contingencies Act & Business Continuity
The Civil Contingencies Act (2004) provides a national framework for civil protection and
formalises emergency preparedness and response activities for organisations involved in
emergency response. Under the CC Act, Councils are identified as ‘Category 1
Responders’ meaning they are considered core to the response to most emergencies/
major incidents.
The CC Act places statutory responsibilities on BCBC as a ‘Category 1 Responder’  to prepare and maintain emergency plans,
 to cooperate with other local responders to enhance co-ordination of response
 to share information with other responding agencies
 to assess the risk of hazards occurring
 to have arrangements in place to warn and inform the public
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to develop and maintain business continuity plans
to promote business continuity to local businesses and voluntary organisations local
businesses (additional duty on Councils only)
Therefore, BCBC must maintain plans to ensure service delivery continues in the event of
an emergency, so far as is reasonably practical. All departments in the Council have
identified critical activities within service areas and produced Business Continuity plans to
ensure critical functions are maintained during business interruptions – i.e. emergencies.
1.4. Risk
BCBC must carry out and maintain community risk assessments. The council has met this
duty through the South Wales Local Resilience Forum (SWLRF) Community Risk Register
and the County Borough Community Risk Register.
The SWLRF Community Risk Register identifies hazards on a South Wales area basis
categorising them as low, medium, high or very high. Each hazard scenario is graded
against the likelihood of its occurrence and the potential impact on the SWLRF area. In
designating a level of risk any mitigation measures are also taken into consideration. The
likelihood assessments are made on the basis of the hazard occurring over a five year
period on a predetermined scale as described in the Risk Register.
The Council’s Community Risk Assessment identifies hazards in this area and assesses
the risk of them occurring. It uses the same risk categories, methods and hazard
classification as the SWLRF Community Risk Register but the scale and extent of the
hazard is reduced to fit local circumstances. Few of the hazards identified on either risk
register have been categorised as ‘very high’.
Bridgend faces ‘typical’ risks such as:
 Transportation – including road, rail, air and marine traffic
 Natural Hazards & the Weather – including snow and flooding
 Industrial heritage – the remnants of the coal industry
 Industry, business & commerce – including gas pipelines, manufacturing and
various factory outlets (though none requiring offsite emergency plans under the
COMAH legislation.)
 Utilities failure – gas, water & electricity
 Health emergencies – examples such as E-Coli and Pandemic Flu.
 Animal Health – including Foot & Mouth, Swine Fever and Rabies.
 Crowd related incidents – sporting events, protest marches or music events
This list is not exhaustive and in planning terms there is still the possibility of any
uncategorised incident or scenario disrupting the council or the community, an example
being the potential Fuel dispute in April 2012.
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1.5. Recovery
BCBC has now developed a separate Recovery Plan which describes the actions the
Council will take to help communities recover from a major disaster.
Recovery is more than simply the replacement of what has been destroyed and the
rehabilitation of those affected and is best achieved when the affected community is
involved in the process. (See Appendix A for more information on the council’s recovery
strategy.)
1.6. Mutual Aid
In the event that Mutual Aid assistance is required, the Chief Executive (or nominee) will
contact the Chief Executive(s) of neighbouring Councils to request the appropriate staff
and resources as required. However, although there are no formal existing Mutual Aid
agreements in Wales, the Welsh Local Government Association suggests the following be
applied:
“In the event of an emergency arising requiring resources beyond that available within our
respective Councils, it would benefit our emergency arrangements if we could render each other
mutual aid and assistance. Such assistance would be subject to recompense of proper financial
costs and could be instigated by any senior officer of the Council.”
NB - A mutual aid agreement has been set up by Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and
Swansea Councils supporting a coordinated response to oil pollution incidents affecting
the coastline between the Rivers Loughour and Ogmore.
1.7. Central & Welsh Government Assistance
The Council may need to seek assistance (other than financial) from the Welsh
Government and/or Central Government even after mutual aid arrangements have been
invoked.
Welsh Government would endeavour to provide additional aid from whatever source
proved necessary and may assume responsibility for co-ordinating emergency response
measures. This aid might consist of certain items of Government equipment or resources
or of units of the Armed Forces with specific skills (see page 21 for information on Military
Aid to the Civil Community).
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SECTION 2 - Principles in Emergency Response
2.0. Multi-agency response structure
Bridgend Council recognises and will adhere to the generic management framework for
command and control arrangements as used by all Category One responders. Under the
framework the emergency response will be managed at three levels, Strategic (Gold),
Tactical (Silver) and Operational (Bronze). The operational level is usually activated first
(though not always) and the response escalated accordingly.
STRATEGIC Control (Gold)
Strategic or ‘Gold’ Level establishes the strategic objectives and overall management
framework for the response. It also considers the long term requirements of the operation
and plans for the return to a state of normality. This in turn sets the objectives for the
Tactical Commanders.
In a multi-agency response, the Police Chief Constable convenes the Strategic
Coordination Group (SCG), and will request senior representation from each of the
agencies involved. If convened, the SCG will usually meet in 101 House, Cardiff Gate. A
detailed protocol dealing with the activation of the SCG is contained within the Multi
Agency Approach to Major Emergencies (MAAME) document, produced by SWLRF (copy
held with the Emergency Planning team).
TACTICAL Control (Silver)
Tactical Controllers or Silver groups may be located near the incident, are responsible for
prioritising the allocation of resources and determine the methods for carrying out
strategies from Strategic or Gold Command.
OPERATIONAL Control (Bronze)
Operational Controllers coordinate front line operations. There may be several of these
responding to the differing requirements of the incident in or at close proximity to the
incident scene. Officers working here would report on arrival to the incident commander at
the multi-agency forward control point.
Forward or Incident Control Point: at the scene
This is the location at the incident scene where the immediate management of the incident
is controlled and co-ordinated from. It is usually identified by the blue lights being left on
the emergency services vehicle; the Incident Commander will usually be contactable here.
Inner Cordon: An area set up and usually controlled by the Police and/or the Fire Service
around the immediate Incident scene to provide security. BCBC staff should not enter this
area without permission from the emergency services present.
Outer cordon: Seals off the controlled area at an Incident scene to which unauthorised
persons are not allowed access. This is usually controlled by the Police.
2.1. BCBC emergency response structure
The strategic, tactical and operational command and control structure is reflected in the
Councils Emergency Incident Control (EIC) arrangements.
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2.2. General Standby, activation and stand down Procedures
Standby:
In the event of the Emergency Planning Duty Officer (EPDO) being notified of any
incident that has the potential to become a Major Incident the EPDO will put Council
resources on ‘Stand By’ by contacting the relevant officers as required.
Activation:
Any member of the Emergency Services or the Chief Executive of a Council (or nominee)
may declare a Major Incident either following an on-scene assessment or as a result of a
report from a reliable source.
Stand Down:
Following a major incident with a multi-agency response the Police, as lead agency, will
issue an official ‘Stand Down’ to mark the end of the emergency response phase. At this
point there is likely to be an official handover where responsibility for the continued
response is passed to the Council and is referred to as the ‘Recovery Phase’.
2.3. Logging
Logging is the chronological recording of all information relating to the incident. This
includes recording all actions taken, decisions made, queries answered and questions
asked relating to gathering and disseminating information connected to the incident. Any
requests given or received for assistance and resources should also be recorded,
meetings minuted and agreements noted.
2.4. Debriefing
Debriefs are commonly carried out post incident to discuss the response, recognise good
practice and address areas that could be dealt with more effectively in future emergencies.
Debriefing may be held on a multi-agency basis, or for any individual organisation to
analyse their response.
South Wales Police will be responsible for convening and chairing a multi-agency debrief
soon after the Emergency Services stand down from the incident, usually within 14–28
days.
Internally, each BCBC department manager must ensure a departmental debriefing
session is convened as soon as is practicable after the incident. In addition, the Chief
Executive is also likely to convene and chair an inter-Directorate debriefing as soon as is
practicable (or appoint an Officer to do so.)
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SECTION 3 - Internal Response Arrangements
3.0. Emergency plans
To help structure the Council’s emergency response arrangements BCBC has developed
different levels of emergency plans:
The Major Incident Plan (MIP) is the over arching document outlining the Council’s
overall role and responsibilities in a major emergency response situation.
Underpinning the MIP are the individual Directorate Emergency Plans which detail
specific Directorate responsibilities.
Supporting Directorate Emergency Plans are single issue plans which detail response
procedures that require a cross directorate response – such as the Rest Centre Plan
which deals with temporary accommodation of residents in the event of an evacuation for
example.
3.1. Emergency Incident Control arrangements
The Emergency Incident Control (EIC) plan provides a framework that assists the
Council to manage its own resources whilst providing an effective response to a major
incident. It becomes the focal point for incident management from which designated
officers will receive, collate, analyse and distribute information and requests for
assistance, enabling resources to be allocated appropriately.
3.2. Director responsibilities
Each Director is responsible for their Directorate’s specific response to the emergency,
including the deployment of personnel and resources. It will also be his or her
responsibility to effectively ensure the management of health and safety issues during the
incident.
Individual Directors have overall responsibility for their own directorate
emergency plan. (See below)
3.3. Emergency Planning Liaison Officer (EPLO)
Each Directorate has an EPLO who is responsible for maintaining their Directorate
Emergency Plan. They must also ensure that the information it contains is disseminated
throughout their Directorate and services mentioned in the plan are aware of their potential
responsibilities.
3.4. Training and Exercising
In order to maintain a level of preparedness and strengthen the Council’s response
arrangements, Directors will make available staff to participate in training and exercise
programmes related to Emergency Planning. These may be local or centrally based, and
will usually involve other organisations in a joint response.
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3.5. Directorate Emergency Plans
Each Directorate has its own specific plan that details its responsibilities in the event of an
emergency / major incident and meets the following objectives:

Identifies officers to be alerted at time of an emergency / Major Incident.

Include call out procedures for additional Directorate staff.

Detail specific agreed roles and responsibilities for departments / sections.

Identifies the Directorate Emergency Planning Liaison Officer.
3.6. Departmental roles and responsibilities
In the event of a major incident it is likely that virtually every department in each
Directorate will assist in the emergency response though some departments / service
areas have more clearly defined roles than others. The following paragraphs briefly
outline key roles of specific service areas and departments in responding to a major
incident:
Corporate Communications Team:
The Corporate Communications Team has an important role in the event of an
emergency, communicating with the public and responding to the media. Arrangements
are in place to extend the teams resources in the event of a major incident, details are in
their own emergency Media Plan.
Legal & Regulatory Services:
The role of Legal Services is to support the Chief Executive's response to a Major Incident
by using existing arrangements which identify clear procedures of legal support to the
Council when responding to an emergency and will be suitable for all incidents regardless
of magnitude.
Legal Services will provide, or arrange to provide, advice to Elected Members and Officers
regarding the following:
 Ensure all Directors are issued with a written notification regarding the
preservation of records.
 Convene special meetings of Elected Members to attain any necessary authority.
 After message forms, incident logs etc. are collected by Emergency Planning, assist in
the proper collation of these materials in preparation for investigations, public
enquiries or any court proceedings.
Public Protection:
The role of Public Protection is to provide resources and advice to assist in the control or
containment of certain diseases in conjunction with Public Health Wales and Abertawe
Bro Morgannwg University Health Board. This is in addition to advising on public health
measures or environmental conditions potentially posing a threat to public health.
In the event of outbreaks such as a Rabies, Foot & Mouth or Anthrax they will also be the
Council’s lead department working closely with the Department of the Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) / Animal Health and the Welsh Government.
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Street Scene:
Departments within Street Scene are responsible for providing the following:

Engineering advice and guidance on any of the following - Civil, Structural,
Highways and Transportation.

Managing the highways network jointly with the Police, including road closures and
traffic diversion.

Provide transport from the private sector for the evacuation of the public by
implementation of an agreed contract.

To mitigate the effects of flooding.

Liaise with Public Protection and the Environment Agency for the disposal of waste
and contaminated materials.

Adapt BCBC buildings for emergency use if required.
Emergency Planning:
The role of the EP Team is to support the Chief Executive’s response to a Major Incident
and to assist with coordination on a strategic level the actions of all Directorates involved.
In addition, the EP Team will also:

Attend the Council’s EIC (if activated)

Continue to provide oncall cover 24 / 7 for ‘other’ emergencies

Assist with liaison and attendance at any multi-agency Strategic (Gold) or Tactical
(Silver) command groups.
Regeneration & Development:
Aside from general support, departments within this Directorate would have a limited role
in direct emergency response. However, they would have a central part in the recovery
phase following the incident and are instrumental in providing services to achieve this.
Housing Services:
The role of Housing Services is to assess the housing needs of residents made homeless
as a result of an emergency or a major incident, and ensure the provision of temporary
accommodation, where appropriate.
In the event of the Rest Centre Plan being activated, they may be required to attend the
designated Rest Centre to resolve longer term housing needs of those affected by the
disaster.
Social Care Services:
The role of Social Services is to co-ordinate the provision of social and psychological
services to those who need support as a result of an emergency/ major incident. These
support services will be provided in conjunction with other statutory and voluntary
agencies.
In the event of the Rest Centre Plan being activated, the service can provide staff to assist
with evacuees in a designated Rest Centre if necessary.
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Leisure Services:
The principle role of Leisure Services in responding to an emergency is to provide suitable
premises, staff and management to support the requirements of the emergency (with
inter-directorate support). Responsibilities include:
 Management of Rest Centres for people made temporarily homeless,
 Provision of leisure facilities for other emergency purposes (survivor centres,
humanitarian assistance centre, antiviral distribution etc.)
Education & Educational Psychology:
Provide support to schools experiencing an emergency as detailed in the Directorate plan.
If required the Directorate is able to assist individual schools by managing the incident
response on their behalf.
The Educational Psychology Service is able to provide a co-ordinated psychological
support service to pupils and staff that may have been affected by a traumatic experience.
Library Service:
Library Service will assist in issuing information to the public with regard to the progress of
the incident, including attending Rest Centres. The service will also release a mobile
communications vehicle if required.
Financial Services:
Financial Services will establish the necessary financial systems to facilitate the Local
Authority’s response, including specifically 
Issuing designated financial codes to each department to record their expenditure
incurred from responding to the emergency.

Ensuring each department is aware of the importance of comprehensively recording
their expenditure.

Advising Elected Members and Officers on their level of authority to incur
expenditure when responding to an emergency.

Advising Elected Members and Officers as to the sources of finance available which
could include: Directorate budgets, Corporate Funds, Litigation i.e. court action
against the person or organisation who is deemed to have caused the Emergency,
and the Emergency Financial Assistance Scheme (formerly Bellwin)

Ensuring that Directors are aware that it is most likely that their Directorates may
have to absorb the initial costs of responding to the emergency.

If appropriate, consider establishing a Disaster Appeal Fund with assistance from the
British Red Cross for disaster victims.
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Customer Services:
This service area is able to provide support to the EIC operation from within the
designated call centre facility to deal with general enquiries from the public relating to the
disaster or major incident
ICT:
The role of ICT during a major incident is to support the corporate response by providing
additional electronic and voice communication facilities as required and to assist in
accessing information which is available electronically.
Directorates have already identified through Business Continuity planning their critical
services and what software support they require.
In the event the EIC is established this section will provide support in supply and
commissioning of IT / Comms equipment.
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3.7. Additional services
The following list below outlines other arrangements in place (list not exhaustive):
Emergency building repair and
 Environmental Health Officer
maintenance services
emergency assistance
Street cleansing/ waste clearance/
 Assistance/advice from Animal
removal
Welfare Officers
Highways Services
 Survivor Reception Centres
CCTV
 Humanitarian Assistance Centres
Emergency lighting, signage and general
 Provision of buildings (other uses)
equipment
 Facilitate residential evacuations
Road closures and diversions
 Technical ICT assistance (eg: GIS)
Building safety inspections
 Aerial imagery
Clearance of debris and restoration
 Provision of temporary mortuaries
of highways
 Provision of information to the public
Heavy Plant
 Arboriculture Work
Provision of labour
 Advice and support to schools
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3.8. Elected Members
Whilst the Elected Members of Bridgend County Borough Council have no formal role in
the response to an emergency, they do have a key role in the recovery phase as their
local knowledge will be a useful resource in providing support within the community and in
giving specialist advice about the affected area.
Consideration should be given to utilising these skills in the following way:

As a focus for community consultation.

Assisting with the Council’s media response on local issues of the incident.

Assisting with VIP visits to provide the local input.

Emergency finance committee.

Liaising with other elected representatives (MPs/AMs/MEPs)
As soon as the Chief Executive has a clear overview of the emergency a briefing for the
Leader & Deputy Leader will be arranged so that information is readily available for all
Members. Further updates will be provided throughout the incident via the Members
Services office.
Information leaflet - ‘The role of Elected Members in an Emergency’ has been produced
and circulated to Members to raise awareness of generic issues in a major incident.
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SECTION 4 – Roles & responsibilities of external agencies
The paragraphs below outline the roles and responsibilities for key partner agencies
in response to a major emergency:
4.0. SOUTH WALES POLICE
In a major emergency the Police have clearly defined objectives and undertake specific
functions within the framework of their normal statutory obligations:
 The saving of life in conjunction with the other emergency services.
 Co-ordination of the emergency services and other support organisations.
 Protection and preservation of the scene.
 Investigation of the incident in conjunction with other investigative bodies where
applicable.
 Collation and dissemination of casualty information.
 Identification of the deceased on behalf of HM Coroner.
Co-ordination of operations
At Incident Control Point: The Senior Police Officer present will co-ordinate the operations
of participating organisations.
Multi agency Strategic or Gold Command: The Police will co-ordinate the activities of the
Strategic Co-ordination Group (SCG) which is a multi agency GOLD level meeting usually
held in 101 House, Cardiff Gate or Police HQ.
Establishment of Major Incident Control Room
This will be authorised by the duty Assistant Chief Constable and set up by the Police
Gold Support Officer. BCBC’s Chief Executive (or nominee) may be required to attend
this as per the SCG arrangements.
Access Routes & Escorts
Police will nominate routes for access to and from the scene and will ensure that such
routes are kept clear and suitably signposted. The Police will provide escorts as and
when necessary.
4.1. SOUTH WALES FIRE & RESCUE SERVICE
The Fire & Rescue Service has clearly defined specific functions within the framework of
their normal duties and statutory obligations.

To save life and property, to render humanitarian services and the restoration of
normality.

Information gathering and hazard assessment to give advice to the Police and
enable them to advise the public on evacuation.

The safety of all personnel within the inner cordon.

Consideration of the effect the Incident may have on the environment and the
action to be taken to minimise this.

Manage hazardous materials and protect the environment.
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Work with the Ambulance service to provide mass decontamination services in
accordance with locally agreed arrangements, assist the ambulance health service in
decontaminating casualties.
4.2. WELSH AMBULANCE SERVICE NHS Trust
The Primary areas of Ambulance Service responsibility are:

The saving of life in conjunction with the other Emergency Services.

To set up the NHS command structure to deal with the incident.

To provide sufficient ambulances and equipment promptly, to deal with the readily
accessible casualties.

To maintain a steady supply of ambulances and personnel to meet all the
requirements of the scene.

To provide Triage, Treatment and Transport at scene either directly or in conjunction
with site medical personnel.

To determine & alert the main receiving hospitals for receipt of the injured.

To provide appropriate transport for the injured from the scene to the Receiving
hospital/hospitals.

To assume responsibility for decontamination of casualties and other victims with
assistance from the fire service as required.

To provide a Decontamination facility on site where required.

To call on and transport if required adequate medical personnel and support
equipment to the scene.
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In conjunction with the Local Authority’s Emergency Planning Officer to alert and coordinate the work of the Voluntary Aid Societies.
4.3. COAL INDUSTRY LEGACY
Although there are no longer working mines in the area the remains of the industry still
pose risks in the form of potential landslides, subsidence and gas build up.
The Coal Authority, sponsored by the Department for Energy & Climate Change, deals
with surface hazards arising from past coal mining activities, shaft collapses, gas
emissions and vents working closely with Council Planning & Building control
departments.
Also, the Mines Rescue Service based in Rhondda Cynon Taff, provides highly trained
mines rescue teams that are available on a 24-hour basis. Emergency contact details are
held by the Emergency Planning team.
4.4. ENVIRONMENT AGENCY WALES
The Environment Agency Wales has specific responsibilities in the event of flood related
emergencies as well as during a major incident involving chemical, biological, radiological
or nuclear material.
Flooding/ Flood Warning

Issue flood warnings to the public, emergency services, local authorities etc.

Maintain and operate strategic flood defences

Advise on the predicted severity of flood events to aid the decision making
process on incident response.

Deployment of flood prevention resources
19

Where resources permit, assist to alleviate the effects of flooding by
providing labour, plant, vehicles, equipment and specialist expertise.
CBRN Incidents:

EA Wales will assist with risk assessment, identify sensitive groundwater and water
courses and advise on locations of decontamination facilities.

Where contaminated materials cannot be contained, identify water and
drainage systems at risk and issue appropriate warnings.

Help identify storage, transport and disposal facilities and contractors.

Support other organisations in dealing with environmental issues.

For incidents involving radioactivity at non-nuclear sites (e.g. transport
incidents) EA Wales will advice on appropriate disposal of wastes,
supporting the emergency services and other organisations.
General

Investigate causes of an incident for future enforcement

Monitor environmental effects of an incident
4.5. LOCAL HEALTH BOARD – University Abertawe Bro-Morgannwg
The Local Health Board’s role will be to co-ordinate health services including liaison with
Trusts (hospital providers). During a major incident, co-ordination of the local health
response will be based upon the following approach:

The Ambulance Service alerting the LHB, PHW and NHS Trusts of a declared
major incident or standby major incident situation.

If activated, will attend the Outbreak Control Team, with partner agencies.
The LHB has direct responsibility for:

Working with other relevant agencies to assess the impact on health and health
services.

Providing the health service contribution to the strategic management of a major
incident involving a range of agencies.

Directly managing, where appropriate, health-centred incidents.

Ensuring that all providers of health care are supported in terms of service
continuity, expenditure, & staff welfare to meet the local population needs.
The Local Health Board will also work in collaboration with the PHW and other partners
to develop and maintain contingency plans for communicable diseases having potential
implications for the wider community, e.g. pandemic influenza.
4.6. MARITIME & COASTGUARD AGENCY
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is responsible for:
 the initiation and co-ordination of civil maritime search and rescue within the UK
search and rescue region,
 Discharging HM Government’s responsibility to deal with major spillage of oil & other
hazardous substances at sea from ships which threaten UK interests,
 Assisting Councils in preparing for and dealing with shoreline pollution from ships.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency’s Maritime Rescue Control Centre (MRCC), at
Mumbles, Swansea is responsible for:
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 Co-ordinated response to all major maritime incidents, including provision and control
of lifeboats & helicopters outlined in the Bristol Channel Plan.
 Co-ordination of the Major Incident Liaison Team (MILT) consisting of representatives
of the Emergency Services, Local Authorities and other associated bodies assembled
at MRCC, Swansea.
4.7. MILITARY - Her Majesty’s Armed Forces
If it is necessary, Local Authorities and the Emergency Services may call upon the
Armed Forces to provide assistance under the rules for Military Aid to the Civil
Community (MACC) set out in Operations in the UK: Defence Contributions to Resilience
(interim Joint Doctrine Publication 02).
In cases of extreme urgency when immediate assistance is required to save human life
all charges for MACC may be waived. In all other cases, the Local Authority making the
request will be billed on a varying scale of charges and indemnity and insurance must be
satisfied before assistance is given.
No Armed Forces assets, manpower, vehicles and stores are earmarked to respond to a
major civil incident. In some cases Armed Forces assistance may come from outside
Wales and the Chepstow peninsula and with any substantial Army involvement, overall
command and control of the Armed Forces aspects of a MACC operation will be
delegated to HQ 160 (Wales) Brigade.
4.8. PUBLIC HEALTH WALES (PHW)
During a major incident PHW will:

Provide on a 24-hour basis, a strategic level of co-ordination, serving the various
NHS trusts (hospitals & ambulance) within the area of the authority,

Acquire additional supplies and services,

Where appropriate assist with the re-location/ re-direction of patients,

If activated, liaise with all necessary partners regarding the establishment of an
Outbreak Control Team.
Scientific and Technical Advice Cell (STAC)
The Scientific and Technical Advice Cell (STAC) is intended to provide advice in
assisting decision making for emergencies where no specific arrangements are in
place and multi-agency co-ordination of scientific and technical advice is needed.
The STAC arrangements for Wales will be established where the advice required
goes wider than the expertise available locally under existing arrangements and
where the incident is not broad enough in its impact to initiate the establishment of
SAGE (see below). The decision to establish a Wales STAC will therefore be agreed
by the Strategic Co-ordinating Group (SCG) on this basis.
In instances where emergencies impact upon the whole of the UK, or wide areas of
the UK it is likely that the UK Government will establish a Scientific Advisory Group
on Emergencies (SAGE) which will provide definitive advice for the whole of the
affected area.
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4.9. TELECOMS
British Telecom is responsible for maintaining telecommunications and for the provision
of emergency communications. Normal maintenance is adequately met by existing
routine procedures, but in the event of emergency communications being required, BT
will respond in accordance with their assessment of need.
Additional telephone lines
In an emergency BT are able to provide extra lines and associated equipment.
Temporary payphones are also available but require the movement of specialist
payphone trailers to the identified location. Any requirement should be directed via the
BT National Emergency Link line to the BT Network Operations Unit (NOU) giving clear
details of the problem, requirement and the location where the installation is to be made.
It should also be noted that this process could take a considerable amount of time.
Control of telephone traffic
In a major incident the volume of telephone traffic will increase. To avoid the collapse of
the telephone system BT have extensive capabilities for the rerouting of calls.
In
particularly difficult circumstances BT may reduce volume of calls by invoking the
Government Telephone Preference Scheme (GTPS).
Government Telephone Preference Scheme
BT has an extensive list of telephone numbers of key BCBC personnel, which in the
event of BT limiting access these numbers can still be used.
Mobile telephones / MTPAS
Various departments keep cellular telephones that have been registered with the Cabinet
Office and the network providers as being essential for use during an emergency. (ICT
keep a copy of the master list) These phones will be given priority or, if necessary
exclusive use of the mobile network.
4.10. UTILITY COMPANIES
The utilities, gas electricity, water and telephone companies are Category Two responders
meaning they have a duty to cooperate and share information with other category one and
two responders. These organisations will play a central role in responding to a major
incident, particularly during the recovery phase.
Gas Industry
The primary function of the gas industry (companies such as Transco and Wales & West
Utilities) in a disaster will be the safe control of gas supplies.
Western Power Distribution
The company has a control centre staffed on a 24 hour basis and has emergency teams
available to ensure a rapid response. WPD primary functions include responding to
emergencies on the electricity network, coordinating the restoration of electrical supplies
and provide specialist personnel and equipment.
Welsh Water (Dwr Cymru)
The company’s principle functions are the supply and distribution of water and disposal of
sewage. In the event of an emergency affecting mains water supply Welsh Water has a
duty to plan to provide 10 litres of water per person per day of the disruption.
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4.11. VOLUNTEERS/ VOLUNTARY AGENCIES
The use of Volunteers in an emergency can be activated by the Emergency Planning
Duty Officer. If the Chief Executive considers it necessary the EPDO will contact the
voluntary organisation and ask them to meet at a specified location so as to co-ordinate
the voluntary agency response. The following Voluntary agencies may be approached to
provide assistance:
British Red Cross (BRC)
The British Red Cross are able to provide the following services at Major Incidents,
supporting the statutory services;
 Teams of multi-disciplinary volunteers, working alongside other Voluntary Aid
Organisations, to offer practical support and assistance for people arriving at Rest /
Reception Centres:
a. Befriending those who need support
b. Wheelchairs for use by the frail, disabled or injured
c. Signposting to other organisations
d. First Aid
e. Assisting with documentation
 Transport and Escort to help with evacuation to Rest / Reception Centres
 Clothing supplies
 Escort of persons when visiting deceased relatives
 International tracing board for displaced families and refugees.
In addition, the South East Wales Locality team has a limited number of specialist vehicles
for use in patient transport, available with trained drivers and escorts for deployment
primarily by the Ambulance Service, social care services or any other body/organisation
requesting assistance.
Faith organisations
The Faith Organisations refer to all denominations in the main religious groups. In the
Christian Churches there are Officers who can provide members to assist BCBC’s social
care functions in their responsibilities with regard to post traumatic stress and
bereavement counselling. Other Faith Groups may also be able to provide advice especially where religious traditions require a particular response.
RAYNET (Radio Amateur Emergency Network)
This group is affiliated to the Radio Society of Great Britain. Members are fully trained and
licensed to provide radio communications facilities (voice and data modes) during
emergencies, or properly constituted exercises.
Under the terms of the Amateur (Sound) Licence, they are permitted to handle ‘’3rd party
messages” for the BRC, St. John Ambulance Brigade, any UK Police, Fire or Ambulance
Service, Government Departments or Public Utilities. RAYNET are also permitted to
operate “Maritime Mobile” and to set up unstaffed stations (such as digipeaters.) Under
special permit, staffed “talk-through stations” may be set up, allowing enhanced
communications in difficult locations e.g. hilly terrain. This is especially useful in the valley
areas in the north of the County Borough. RAYNET can be accessed via the EPDO.
23
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is able to offer help whenever needed with emergency feeding,
clothing, limited temporary accommodation and welfare duties. These activations are
controlled from Headquarters at Cardiff but are supported by many citadels in parts of the
County Borough.
St John Ambulance Brigade
The Brigade has trained personnel covering the whole of the Borough and receives much
direct support from the medical, nursing and welfare professions. Some teams are able to
provide their own transport; occasionally a converted former ambulance and can offer a
limited amount of equipment. In the main, the functions include;
 First Aid and home nursing
 Support for the Ambulance Service
WRVS
The WRVS has trained Emergency Service teams within the Bridgend County Borough
area. These volunteers could assist at Rest and Reception Centres, providing welfare and
care for evacuees, staff information points, provide and serve refreshments and assist
with the service of hot meals.
Members will also assist with the registration of evacuees and could set up a clothing
distribution service if so required as current plans rely on BCBC staff to be utilised initially.
4.12. WELSH GOVERNMENT
In the event of a major incident or national emergency the Welsh Government will:
 Co-ordinate information and provide appropriate guidance / support to services for
which it is responsible.
 Establish an Emergency Co-ordination Centre Wales (ECCW) at its offices in Cathay’s
Park which can be linked with all agencies, the Office of the Secretary of State for
Wales and Whitehall. (COBR)
 Provide representatives to liaise with the Strategic Co-ordinating Group.
 (according to the nature of the event) act together with the Office of the Secretary of
State for Wales to represent Wales at the Civil Contingencies Committee and
disseminate information from CCC and Whitehall to relevant agencies via the
Strategic Co-ordinating Groups.
 Provide media support through the Communications Directorate.
 Provide as appropriate, financial assistance to councils under Section 155 of the Local
Government and Housing Act 1989 (Emergency Financial Assistance Scheme,
formerly the Bellwin Scheme.
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Appendix A – Recovery Strategy
Purpose & Principles
Recovery can be described as a co-ordinated process of supporting affected
communities in the reconstruction of the physical infrastructure and restoration of
emotional, social, economic and physical well-being.
In many scenarios, the response to an emergency can be relatively short in contrast to
the recovery. This can take years not months to complete as it seeks to address the
consequences of emergencies and will continue until the disruption has been rectified;
demands on services return to normal and the needs of those affected have been met.
When considering the needs of the recovery phase BCBC will have regard for the
following principles:

Recovery is an enabling and supportive process, which allows individuals, families
and communities to attain a proper level of functioning through the provision of
information, specialist services and resources.

Effective recovery requires the establishment of planning and management
arrangements, which are accepted and understood by the community as well as
all agencies involved in the recovery process.

Recovery management arrangements are most effective when they recognise the
complex, dynamic and protracted nature of recovery processes and the changing
needs of affected individuals, families and groups within the community over time.

The management of recovery is best approached from a community development
perspective and is most effective when conducted at the local level with the active
participation of the affected community and a strong reliance on local capacities
and expertise. Recovery is not just a matter for the statutory agencies - the
private sector and the wider community will play a crucial role.

Recovery management is most effective when agencies involved in human
welfare have a major role in all levels of decision-making which may influence the
well being and recovery of the affected community.

Recovery is best achieved where the recovery process begins from the moment
the emergency begins or within the early stages of response. It is recommended
that the Recovery Working Group is set up on the first day of the emergency.
Strategy
At the core of the recovery phase is a recovery strategy underpinning all these activities.
It is vital that a clear recovery strategy is developed and agreed at the start of the
recovery process. To be effective, a detailed strategy will need to be developed further
during the response phase of the emergency, in line with BCBC’s Recovery Plan.
The recovery strategy could cover some, or all, of the following key objectives:
 A Community Impact Assessment (on residents, businesses, infrastructure,
environment, etc) to be carried out as soon as possible and regularly updated.
 A concise, balanced, affordable recovery action plan is developed involving all
appropriate agencies and fits the needs of the emergency.
25








The community is fully involved in the recovery process.
All agencies work closely with the community and those directly affected,
including monitoring and protection of public health.
Utilities and transport networks are brought back into use as soon as practicable.
A pro-active and integrated framework of support to businesses is established.
All affected areas are restored to an agreed standard so that they are ‘suitable for
use’ for their defined future purposes.
Environmental protection and recovery issues are co-ordinated.
Information and media management of the recovery process is co-ordinated.
Effective protocols for political involvement and liaison (Town/County Borough,
WG and Parliamentary) are established.
Measuring Progress
It is recommended that various targets / milestones for the recovery are established and
agreed. The community should be involved in establishing these targets, which provide
a means of measuring progress with the recovery process, and may assist in deciding
when specific recovery activities can be scaled down.
Suggested targets / milestones could include some of the following:
 Demands on public services returned to normal levels (including health)
 Utilities are again fully functional
 Transport infrastructure is running normally
 Local businesses are trading normally
 Tourism in the area has been re-established.
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Appendix B - Glossary of terms
Assistance
Centres
Casualty
Bureau
Body holding
CBRN
COMAH
Command
Control
Cordon
Inner
Cordon Outer
Crisis
Management
Team
Decontamination
Emergency/
Major
Incident
Emergency
Incident
Control
Formerly referred to as Family Assistance Centres; following a
major incident, or where appropriate, BCBC will work with a
multitude of partner organisations to support an assistance centre
which will provide those affected by the emergency with a ‘onestop-shop’ for support and advice.
Central contact and information point for all records and data
relating to casualties, evacuees and others affected by the
incident In the South Wales Police area this will be opened at
Police Headquarters, Bridgend.
A designated building where mass fatalities may be stored prior to
being processed.
Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear –material that has
the potential to be adapted for use in a terrorist incident.
Control of Major Accident Hazards. COMAH sites refer to
industrial sites which fall under European Directive 96/82/EC (the
Seveso II Directive), due to materials stored on site which have
the potential to cause injury or damage off site. The Local
Authorities have to produce specific off-site plans for these sites.
The authority for an agency/ organisation to direct the actions of
its own resources (both personnel and equipment).
The authority to direct strategic and tactical operations in order to
complete an assigned function and includes the ability to direct
the activities of other organisations/ authorities engaged in the
completion of that function.
An area set up and usually controlled by the Police around the
immediate Incident scene to provide security.
Seals off the controlled area at an Incident scene to which
unauthorised persons are not allowed access. Controlled by the
Police.
Chief Executive and key personnel brought together under the
Chief Executive to manage and co-ordinate the Local Authority
response to the incident.
The response to a CBRN release where all persons who may
have been in contact with the material must be decontaminated by
either the Ambulance or Fire Service.
An event or situation which threatens serious damage to human
welfare in a place in the UK, the environment of a place in the UK,
or war or terrorism which threatens serious damage to the security
of the UK.
In the event that BCBC declares a Major Emergency an
operations centre may be established to facilitate the coordination
and management of the Authority’s response. This is referred to
as the EIC and is located in the Civic Offices.
27
Forward or
Incident
Control
Point
Friends’ &
Relatives’
Reception
Gold Control
(multiagency)
Local
Resilience
Forum
MACC
Major
Accident
Hazard
Pipelines
Media Centre
MTPAS
Mutual Aid
arrangement
Media Liaison
Officer
Operational
(‘Bronze’)
Control
Recovery
Rest Centre
Survivor
Reception
Centre
Strategic
(Police, Fire and Ambulance) Location at the scene from which
the immediate management of the Incident is controlled and coordinated. The central point of contact for all specialist and
Emergency Services engaged on site.
Secure area set aside for use and interview of friends & relatives
arriving due to an incident. The Council may be asked to assist
the Police by providing a Leisure building for their use.
See Strategic Coordination Group
The LRF provides a forum for the co-ordination of all category one
organisations (multi-agency) response to planning for major
emergencies in south wales area.
Military Aid to the Civil Community; the provision of Military
assistance to Councils & Emergency Services in response to a
Major Incident. If offered or there is a threat to life, there is no
charge: thereafter charges will be applicable to the organisation
requesting assistance. To initiate MACC the Chief Executive
must sign an official military indemnity form.
BCBC maintains an emergency plan for Wales and West Utilities
pipelines which covers an emergency incident involving a high
pressure gas pipeline. This is a statutory responsibility.
Central contact point for media enquiries, providing press
conference facilities and communications usually co-ordinated by
the Police as lead agency. It’s likely that media officers from all
organisations concerned will utilise such a facility.
Mobile Telecommunications Privileged Access Scheme.
Government controlled scheme which allows certain registered
users preferential access to networks at times of high demand.
Cross-boundary arrangements where Emergency Services,
Council’s and other organisations may request extra staff and/or
resources. Requests should be via the Chief Executive.
Person nominated by the Council (other organisations will also
have a similar post) to be responsible for the release of
information to the press and media on behalf of that Council.
All staff working at the scene of the incident are operating at the
operational level. A BCBC manager working at the incident site
would act as the council’s Operational Control.
After the initial response to the emergency the Council becomes
the lead agency for the Recovery Phase. BCBC will work with the
communities affected to return to a new state of normality.
A building designated by BCBC to provide temporary shelter and
welfare to residents who have been evacuated from their home.
The Council may be asked to assist the Police by opening a
leisure building for use as a Survivor Reception Centre for
temporary shelter of uninjured persons involved in an incident
where statements can be collected.
The Strategic Coordination Group (formerly referred to as ‘Gold
28
Coordination
Group
Control)’ is a multi-agency group of senior managers from all
category one responders who are convened following a major
emergency to determine the strategic objectives for the response
as well as considering long term needs of the emergency.
Tactical
(‘Silver’)
Control
Tactical level - exists to determine priority in allocating resources,
to plan and co-ordinate when a task will be undertaken and to
obtain other resources as required. Tactical commanders should
NOT become involved with the activities at the scene.
Temporary
Mortuary
A building designated by HM Coroner and the Police for post
mortems and body identification procedures, in a Major Incident
where there is a multiplicity of fatalities. The Council, Police and
the Health Authority are responsible for providing the necessary
equipment and resources to ensure operational needs are met.
EG: Women’s Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS), British Red
Cross (BRC), St. John Ambulance Brigade, Samaritans, RAYNET,
Salvation Army and religious organisations. These are the main
Voluntary Organisations that would be alerted first, though others
may also be involved depending on the Incident. Contact is made
via the Emergency Planning Team.
Voluntary
Organisation
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END OF PLAN
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