Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

at 24/01/2006 10:42

Steve Winston, County Emergency Planning Officer for Cornwall, stars in the new Civil Contingencies Act DVD. The DVD has been produced by Essex County Council in partnership with the BBC, and in cooperation with the Cabinet Office and the Government Officers of the Regions.

The aim of the film is to introduce the Act to all those organisations who are now Category 1 and 2 Responders. It seeks to highlight the key issues and provides examples of good practice and past experiences.

Category 1 Responders are at the core of Civil Protection and include Blue Light Agencies, the Environment Agency and Local Authorities.

It was recent floods that identified the need for the Civil Contingencies Act – the Country needs to be capable of meeting challenges at national and local level.

This new DVD includes case studies and examples of best practice. It is broken down into sections which include:

 Cooperation and Information Sharing
 Risk Assessment
 Emergency Planning
 Business Continuity Management
 Advice and Assistance to Businesses
 Communicating with the Public
 The Voluntary Sector
The DVD highlights the need for excellent communication between the media and those responsible for managing emergencies, and demonstrates how they can work together to warn and inform the public.

The response to the Boscastle flooding in 2004 is one example on the DVD of how this relationship can work. The Emergency Services and local authorities worked with BBC Radio Cornwall throughout the disaster and the public relied on this media resource to obtain up to date information about the incident.

Steve Winston, Cornwall Emergency Planning Officer explains: “This DVD is an excellent resource for all Category 1 and 2 responders and explains clearly and concisely the responsibility we have to meet the challenges we could face at any time, including terrorist attacks, flooding and extreme weather conditions”
A copy of the DVD is available from Rosanna Briggs at Essex County Council Tel: +44 (0)1245 430 373. Due to the DVD being so popular a charge of £10 will now be made per copy (discounts for more than 3)