South Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum Annual Report 2016/2017

Transcription

1 South Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum Annual Report 2016/2017 1

2 Foreword by the Chair of South Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum Welcome to the fourth annual report of the South Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum (LRF). The report outlines to the public the range of activities undertaken by LRF partners which ensure that South Yorkshire is better prepared to respond and recover from emergencies. The LRF has continued to work towards its strategic overview for the three-year period to This includes building resilience within communities enabling them to be better prepared for civil emergencies and includes the integration of voluntary sector organisations to enhance South Yorkshire s emergency management. In the past year, the LRF has planned for and responded to a number of protests in Sheffi eld and Rotherham as well as industrial action, which were managed effectively continuing the joint emergency services ethos of working together, saving lives and reducing harm. It is incumbent on us all however that we remember incidents such as the 2007 fl oods. Despite the time which has elapsed since those events we must avoid complacency and ensure that we remain prepared by jointly reviewing, testing and exercising our plans and protocols. With this in mind we have continued to successfully train and exercise together in themed areas of severe weather, electricity disruption, pandemic fl u (national exercise Cygnus) and an anti-terrorism exercise at a shopping centre. A review of the Community Risk Register has begun and future focus will be on the capability of partners to respond to an emergency over long periods of time. In order to keep you informed of our work, our website can be found at: Please visit the website and fi nd out more about the Local Resilience Forum, our work protecting the communities of South Yorkshire, and for advice on preparing your homes, businesses and communities in the event of an emergency. James Courtney, Chief Fire Officer, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, Chair of the South Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum. 2

3 Business Management Group, Chaired by Caroline Rollitt, South Yorkshire Police The Business Management Group (BMG) is a tactical level group, the membership of which includes partners from the resilience community across South Yorkshire. The BMG is responsible for the delivery of various work streams in support of the LRF s strategic objectives. The BMG is supported by six sub groups, each having specifi c aims and objectives. The Chairs of the groups have each prepared their individual reports which follow. Preparedness for response to a terrorist incident is a priority for the LRF and ongoing training around Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP) has now incorporated secondary responders such as Local authority emergency planners. The LRF played an important part in a large-scale exercise testing our response to a terrorist incident at Meadowhall. Over 800 volunteers, many from the LRF played an important role in helping our fi rst responders test their capability and plans. The LRF continues to test our plans for fl ooding response and pandemic fl u and these issues continue to be a focus for the tactical groups. An additional plan around managing clandestine migrants is being developed, in conjunction with the immigration service. Over the last year, the LRF has focussed its attention on training our Chief Executives and Chief Offi cers to manage Strategic co-ordinating groups in the event of a major incident. This has proved useful as the LRF has continued to coordinate planning and response to a number of events and incidents over the past 12 months. At a tactical level, we are utilising the Resilience Direct platform to share good practice and information for future training and live incidents. Industrial Action has dominated the planning agenda to ensure critical services provided by organisations continue whilst recognising employees right to legitimate protest. 3

4 South Yorkshire Human Aspects Group, Chaired by Rosalind McDonagh, Doncaster MBC Guidance The group aims to support the development and embedding of humanitarian assistance response and recovery capabilities within the Civil Contingencies arrangements of South Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum. Humanitarian Assistance is defi ned as those activities aimed at meeting the needs of people affected by emergencies. In 2016 the multi-agency group has worked in partnership to build capacity and co-ordinated humanitarian assistance arrangements within South Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum and has worked to further embed a culture of humanitarian assistance in the work of the Local Resilience Forum. The group have worked with the Cabinet Offi ce to develop new information, advice and guidance for Human Aspects in Emergency Management. The guidance was published in Autumn The new guidance recognises that whether severe weather, a transport incident, fl ooding, fuel shortage, outbreak of disease or a terrorist incident, emergencies may have a profound and far-reaching effect on individuals, families, communities and the general public. These impacts can be both physical and psychological and will vary throughout response and recovery according to the nature of the emergency and the local context. The guidance also highlights the work of the South Yorkshire Human Aspects Group in a case study which aims to share the South Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum approach with the wide range of stakeholders involved in planning and delivering activities to support those affected during and following an emergency. Training A strategic exercise to consider the response to a severe weather event in June 2016 was use to consider the South Yorkshire response and support arrangements put in place for residents affected by fl ooding and high winds. Humanitarian impacts and response needs were key considerations in the November 2016 National Pandemic fl u exercise which enabled the group to review and further consider the multi-agency preparedness and response to an infl uenza pandemic across South Yorkshire. Planning Membership of the group has been reviewed in 2016 and we are very pleased to welcome Victim Support as new members of the group. In 2017 the group will continue to provide advice and support to the Local Resilience Forum on humanitarian impacts and response capability and capacity in planning, training and response. 4

5 Telecommunications Sub Group, Chaired by Chris Lucas, Yorkshire Ambulance Service The Telecommunications Sub Group (TSG) continues to follow the national guidance provided by the Civil Contingencies Secretariat to ensure that effective communications can be maintained between responders during an operational response. The provision of operational communications is key to ensuring that information can be shared between responding organisations and maintaining coordination. Over the last year the TSG on behalf of the LRF has ensured that the High Integrity Telecommunications System (HITS) has been tested on a regular basis, ensuring resilient communications support the consequence management of emergencies. The Group continues to remain fully updated on the new Emergency Services Network (ESN) being delivered by the Home Offi ce led Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme. ESN will be the replacement service for the current Airwave Tetra network and will deliver a 4G/ Long-term evolution (LTE) service. This will allow public safety users access to both critical voice and data services. Users within South Yorkshire will transition to the new service following delivery in mid The Group also continues to support interoperable communications utilising the current Airwave network. Following the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP) doctrine, regular communications testing between responding organisations and commanders continues on a regular basis. This has been predominantly between the Emergency Services to date but will widen to other responders moving forward particularly in exercise scenarios. 5

6 Public Information and Media Group, Chaired by Carrie Goodwin, South Yorkshire Police Over the course of the last year, the South Yorkshire Public Information and Media Group has focused on preparing for a terrorist attack, This forms part of a national move to exercise and prepare agencies due to the changing nature of terrorism. This has included a detailed training session for twenty communicators from South Yorkshire s category 1 and category 2 responders which focused on an active shooter operating in the area. This was led by the North East Counter Terrorism unit and worked through the very early stages of the attack. The aim of the training was to ensure all agencies had a detailed understanding of how the communications would work, who would lead and what messages could and should be given. This allows us to ensure the public receive up to date information, which is accurate and provides clarity through the inevitable initial chaos. The expert knowledge of the North East Counter Terrorism Unit cannot be underestimated and provided an essential insight to all participants. Some of the category 1 and 2 responders have also been involved in managing a number of protests in Rotherham and Sheffi eld. The largest of which included a fl ash protest attracting around 5000 people in Sheffi eld city centre following the US election of President Trump. The relevant agencies pulled together to ensure the protest, which occurred in the evening rush hour, didn t grind the city centre to a halt. This has added to the growing and extensive knowledge of those responsible for communicating with the public in an emergency. Carrie Goodwin Chair of the Public Information and Media Group 6

7 Business Continuity Group, Chaired by Eric Mirfin, South Yorkshire Police The Business Continuity Group consists of BCM practitioners from each of the blue light services, Health, Local Authorities, Major Utilities and other invited agencies. The group meets on a regular basis where the sharing of information about Business Continuity practice, events and exercising ensures an effective partnership, working, together to provide resilience within the South Yorkshire LRF area. The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 requires that each of the organisations represented must have a Business Continuity Management (BCM) system in place, so that during any period of disruption their Critical Functions can be prioritised and maintained until normal service is resumed. Industrial action, fl ooding and the loss of I.T continue to feature highly on the agenda of our groups meetings, whilst we have also discussed incidents involving telephony, chemical incidents and fi re. This together with frequent multi-agency exercising will create safer and more resilient organisations and communities. The group actively promote partnership working, members regularly attend exercises and events, hosted across the South Yorkshire Area. Exercise Liquid Gravity was hosted at South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Training and Development Centre in September 2016 and partners attended as observers, the learning points from the exercise were shared amongst all SYLRF agencies. There is considerable experience amongst the group members, throughout a vast array of industries; this has been enhanced during the year with Sheffi eld Hallam University and the Prison Service becoming active members of the group. The sharing of this experience throughout the group enables newer BC practitioners to understand many of the complex issues and solutions which are encountered during the year. All of the agencies represented align themselves to recognised Business Continuity standards, usually the International Standard ISO We have checking mechanisms in place to ensure that the LRF can be confi dent in the Business Continuity arrangements of its individual members. This year a sub group has produced a self-assessment document which may be used by any agency to check their organisational position. The group also provides an opportunity to carry out peer reviews on each others behalf. We aim to identify both new and existing businesses in South Yorkshire, offering information, advice, guidance and support on how to become more resilient by developing their own BCM system. A specifi c Community working group has been looking at this particular area throughout 2016/17. The group continually look to provide horizon scanning which identifi es and raises awareness of BC issues that may affect the various organisations within the South Yorkshire LRF. This includes future issues and those whereby organisational learning is captured and available for dissemination for the benefi t of all. 7

8 Risk Management and Planning Group, Chaired by Karen Chaplin, NHS England The Risk Management and Planning Group is responsible for producing a Community Risk Register on behalf of South Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum to inform contingency planning arrangements. The Community Risk Register is based on national guidance and local knowledge. It identifi es hazards i.e. circumstances, situations or events with the potential to lead to civil emergencies in South Yorkshire. Individual risk assessments are produced by nominated Risk Leads and are based on the nature of the hazard, and the identifi cation of existing and additionally required preventative and mitigation measures / controls / capabilities and contingency plans. The risk rating (the impact of the hazard combined with the likelihood of it happening) is plotted on a profi le of severity. A local assessment of further work needed informs a list of relative risk priorities for management and planning, thus ensuring that efforts to mitigate risks are proportionate and rational. In May 2016 the Group submitted a revised Community Risk Register (Version 2.1) to the Local Resilience Forum. The Community Risk Register highlighted that the highest risks are pandemic infl uenza, coastal fl ooding (which may lead to large numbers of evacuees being displaced to inland areas) and total failure of GBs electricity network over a period for up to 5 days. All three of these risks were identifi ed as priorities for further risk management action in 2016/17. In addition, the Community Risk Register included a profi le of the common consequences of all types of emergencies within a single framework. The LRF has plans in place to respond to the 10 most commonly occurring consequences and each of these is aligned to one of the LRF sub-groups for update and review. The Community Risk Register is used as the basis for all other work within the Local Resilience Forum, making risk the foundation of resilience efforts in the county. Refl ecting the ongoing nature of the work of the Group, a review of the register was started in spring 2017 and this will result in a revised Community Risk Register being submitted to the Local Resilience Forum in November In particular, in the 2017 cycle, the Group is considering the capability of LRF partners to respond to an emergency over a prolonged period of time. During 2016/17 the Group has continued to work with the Public Information and Media Group to produce a public version of the Community Risk Register to inform communities of the top 10 risks within the county, raise awareness and inform individuals and communities of the actions they can take to be better able to respond to civil emergencies. 8

9 Training and Exercising Group, Chaired by Simon Dunker, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue The Group is responsible for planning, organising and co-ordinating training and exercising needs, aligned to the Local Resilience Forum strategic priorities, based on the Community Risk Register, Current plans, new emerging risks or procedures and the Training Needs Analysis. Previously established links with the Risk Management and Planning Group continued to grow throughout This ensures all training and exercising developed is aligned to current risks. This section of the report summarises some of the previous year s achievements & changes. In June 2016 an LRF exercise took place to validate the LRF response at Strategic Level to an anticipated severe weather event. This exercise involved all strategic partners and was completed successfully. On the 12th July 2016, a full day s workshop titled Exercise Blackout/Black Start was hosted by West Yorkshire Police, sponsored by Yorkshire Water and Northern Power grid. This was a joint workshop involving the four Yorkshire and the Humber resilience forums and was designed to improve local preparedness, planning and resilience in response to an intermittent electricity supply disruption for an extended period. The National Pandemic Flu Exercise (Cygnus) which was previously postponed due to the Ebola crisis fi nally took place between 18th and 20th October South Yorkshire took part throughout the three day period operating a Strategic Coordinating Group. The above exercises were fully debriefed and reports were circulated to LRF members and partner agencies. Members of SYLRF have been involved in the planning of Exercise Historian for around four months. This exercise involved partner agencies and mutual aid from emergency services throughout the UK. The exercise was designed to test the response of all services to a marauding terrorist fi rearms attack (MTFA) and took place at an iconic location overnight on Sunday 19th March A Strategic Exercise is then planned to take place during June 2017 following the above Tactical Exercise. The Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP) have been incorporated into all exercises to build on joint and collaborative working between all partners. 9