Emergency Planning and Business Continuity

During a major emergency affecting a wide area, emergency services will focus their resources where the need is greatest.  By being prepared and knowing what to do, you can reduce the impact of the emergency on yourself, your family and your community, and help the recovery process.

As essential responders, we work with others to ensure we can respond appropriately in emergency situations - you need to be prepared too.

Be informed:

• Sign up for Alerts and Warnings, such as:

  • Get flood warnings by text, phone or email - GOV.UK

  • Subscribe to email alerts, warnings and newsletters - Met Office

  • Weather-Health Alerting System - GOV.UK

• Check your long-term flood risk

• If eligible, sign up to the Priority Services Register (PSR).

Prepare:

We've worked with partner agencies to develop advice for local residents and businesses on how to prepare for emergencies. This information is available on the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Prepared website.

Please take some time to read through the guidance and familiarise yourself with what to do in an emergency.

Prepare is a government website that provides practical guidance on preparing for emergencies, understanding potential hazards, and getting involved in activities that support your community before, during and after an emergency.

Communities Prepared is a national community resilience programme that equips Community Emergency Volunteers (CEVs) and Flood Warden groups with the knowledge and confidence to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a range of emergencies, including flooding, severe weather and pandemics.

Use the resources above to gather hints and tips on:

• Creating a Household Emergency Plan

• Preparing an Emergency Grab Bag

• Making Your Home More Resilient

• Preparing for Utility Disruptions

• Looking After Pets During Emergencies.

The Emergency Planning Team at Huntingdonshire District Council supports town and parish councils, as well as community groups (collectively referred to as Community Resilience Groups (CRGs)), to develop and strengthen their emergency preparedness arrangements.

This support includes:

• Developing or reviewing Community Emergency Plans

• Establishing Emergency Liaison Points (ELPs)

• Providing advice and guidance on community resilience activities.

To help us understand local needs, tailor our support, and prioritise areas for assistance, please take a few minutes to complete our Community Emergency Preparedness Survey.

View guidance on how to support your community before, during, and after an emergency.

Additionally, Communities Prepared, equips Community Emergency Volunteers (CEVs) and Flood Warden groups with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a range of emergencies, including flooding, severe weather, and pandemics.

Communities already support one another in times of need, but those that take the time to prepare a simple Community Emergency Plan are often able to respond to and recover from emergencies more quickly.

Developing a plan is the first step towards becoming more resilient. It helps communities identify local skills, resources and vulnerable areas, while also supporting the emergency services in their response and recovery efforts.

To start developing your Community Emergency Plan, download the template.

Step 1. Define your community

Where? Who? How does your community engage? How will you think about inclusivity? Wider communities? Who can help? Who is the lead person? What networks/relationships exist? What relationships do you need to create?

Step 2. Strength and challenges

Strengths-based approach. Having said that, identifying potential challenges is important, such as:

• Vulnerable areas

• Key infrastructure, access roads

• Vulnerable people.

Step 3. Determine your community’s resources

• Communications

• Volunteer services

• Tools

• Equipment

• Supplies

• Facilities/spaces

• Green spaces Transportation.

Step 4. Identify main risks your community is concerned about

• Think about the types of challenges and emergencies

• What impacts could these have on people?

• Plan on what risks are a priority in your community?

• Starting small at first to build your plan in the future is okay

• Consult your community about their concerns

• Think about inclusivity (who is affected, how?)

• Consult official documents: Local Risk Register/National Risk Register

• Community Risk Register - Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Prepared

Step 5.  Map skills and capabilities

Map all skills and resources available in your community. Survey volunteers and staff in your community, faith or neighbourhood group to find out what key skills could be useful in an emergency.

Important skills to consider:

• First Aid (including mental health)

• Connections (with organisations such as the British Red Cross)

• People with knowledge of insurance matters

• Existing volunteer experience

• Communication and organisation (RAYNET UK is the UK’s national voluntary communications service provided for the community by licensed radio amateurs)

• IT skills

• People with Disclosure and Barring Services checks

• Hazard-specific experience (fire warden, flood warden)

• Hazard-specific knowledge (interest in flooding, water management)

• People with a good understanding of GDPR and how to use and store data.

Step 6. Identify gaps and organise training if needed

Look for training offers and sign up to networks such as:

• Communities Prepared

• British Red Cross

• St John Ambulance

• Reach Volunteering

• Additionally, check out your local Volunteer Centre for opportunities - Support Cambridgeshire.

Step 7.  Activate/Trigger your plan

Importance of triggers:

• Definition: pre-defined conditions, events, or thresholds that signal when your community should activate parts, or all, of its emergency plan

• Purpose: ensure a timely and coordinated response, preventing delays or confusion during an incident

• Provide clarity and confidence; avoid overreaction or underreaction.

Step 8. Test your plan

Why should you exercise your plan?

• Help people understand how the plan will work

• Helps people not forget

• Learn what works, what could be improved

• It brings your community together

• It builds trust between partners, confidence in the plan and competency

• Why not ask partner agencies to join in and help, such as EA, LA, Fire and Rescue Service? We are happy to offer assistance and be involved in testing your plan in a scenario or tabletop exercise. 

A place for your community to coordinate its efforts to help each other during an incident. They can be set up in a wide range of local buildings and do not require all volunteers to be identified in advance.

When an ELP is opened, simple role cards allow those who are available to step into clear roles immediately, helping the ELP operate safely and effectively. View our ELP Guide for communities [PDF, 2.5MB].

We are offering an ELP grab box, which includes some of the suggested ELP set up items, to Community Resilience Groups (CRGs), whilst stock lasts.

To be eligible for the grab box, the following steps must be completed:

1. CRGs must be formally constituted and have a recognised governance structure in place to ensure accountability and effective management of resources

2. Key members of the CRGs must attend a workshop (in-person or online) (Please email: Emergency.Planning@huntingdonshire.gov.uk to arrange a convenient slot)

3. A CRG representative must review, complete and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) [PDF, 0.2MB]. This outlines the shared commitment of the CRG and Huntingdonshire District Council

4. A suitable ELP location within the community must be identified and agreed. You must register your ELP with us using this form - Emergency Liaison Point (ELP) registration form

5. The community should be made aware of, or notified about the ELP.