Agenda item

The Committee received a presentation on the operation of the Local Resilience Forum (LRF) providing an overview on its operation, via the business planning process, together with an understanding of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and its implications on Carmarthenshire County Council and Dyfed Powys Police. It included an explanation of the Dyfed Powys Local Resilience Forum and the role of the council therein, whilst also examining the risks and threats that could affect the Dyfed Powys area and how the LRF aimed to mitigate against those.

The Civil Contingencies Manager outlined the background to the Civil Contingencies Act and advised that it defined an emergency in three ways:-

-       An event which threatened serious damage to Human Welfare in a place within the U.K.

-       An event or situation which threatened serious damage to the Environment in a place within the U.K.

-       War or Terrorism which threatened serious damage to the security of the u.k.

As a consequence of that Act, responding agencies must form LRF’s based on police force boundaries. Within Carmarthenshire, the Dyfed Powys LRF had been established comprising representatives at a senior level from all of the responding authorities.

The following questions/issues were raised on the report:

·         Reference was made to Carmarthenshire being a farming county and to what measures were in place to protect the production and distribution of food in an emergency situation.

The Civil Contingencies Manager advised that the Civil Contingencies Act came in two parts. Part 1 focussed on local arrangements for civil protection, establishing a statutory framework of roles and responsibilities for local responders. Part 2 focussed on emergency powers, establishing a modern framework for the use of special legislative measures that might be necessary to deal with the effects of the most serious emergencies. These would be introduced to protect issues such as food provision and infrastructure.

·         With regard to a question on engaging local communities as part of the process, the Committee was advised that whilst efforts had previously been made in that regard, it was proving difficult. As a rule, communities only became involved when an emergency arose, with that waning following the incident and as aftermath issues were resolved.

·         In response to a question on pre-emptive emergencies such as acts of terrorism, the Committee was advised that the LRF’s were informed of potential risks within their areas and held training events examining different scenarios and preparing post incident responses thereto.

·         In relation to the LRF’s Command structure and their location, there were three distinct command structures of Strategic (Gold), Tactical (Silver) and Operational (Bronze). Gold Command was based in Dyfed Powys Police Headquarters in Carmarthen. Silver (Technical) Command centres were based within a police station in each local authority area. Local authorities also had silver centres, with Carmarthenshire’s being based in Parc Myrddin. Bronze centres were operational and, by their very nature, were based at the location of any incident.

·         Reference was made to the 2001 outbreak of Foot and Mouth in the County and views expressed for a preference for such incidents to be dealt with at a local level, as opposed to the position in 2001 where responsibility lay with the Welsh Government. The Civil Contingencies Manager confirmed that whilst the Authority had plans in place to deal with such incidents, which fell within the remit of the Council’s Public Protection Division, overseeing responsibility therefor lay with the Welsh Government.

The Interim Head of Homes and Safer Communities advised that he could arrange for officers to provide members with details of how the authority would respond to a foot and mouth incident and how that response linked in with other national agencies.

UNANIMOUSLY RESOLVED that the presentation be received.