The Chief Aims of the Government in the UK - Essay Example

Disaster Management Order No. 359288 No. of pages: 10 Writer: 653 Question 1 – What command structure would be put in place to deal with an incident of this magnitude? Do not just consider local arrangements. Introduction The chief aim of the government in the UK is to reduce the fear of risks among people and help them live a confident and safe life. In this respect, clear information and guidance is given to the general public as well as to the safety and rescue authorities whose services are vital for safeguarding life and property. (HM Government, UK Resilience, 2009) The Central Government has an efficient network for coordinating the different facets of specific departments in order to ensure that it works to its maximum potential. The Central Government’s Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBR) (Central Government Arrangements, 2005, pg. 1) is divided into two important factions comprising of the Lead Government Departments and Other Government Departments. Both these departments have to report to the Regional Civil Contingencies Committees. In addition to this there are three other groups that come under the Regional Civil Contingencies and these groups are the Local Strategic Coordinating Groups. The government lends its complete support by responding to different emergencies through these departments and groups. 1) Central Government COBR – Is a vital faction that helps to deal with emergencies of any kind. The Emergencies are broadly divided into 3 levels- (Central Government Arrangements, 2005, pg. 1) Directly under the Central Government COBR are two factions comprising of the Lead Government departments and other Government Departments who work in close tandem with the Regional Civil Contingencies whenever a catastrophe strikes. The COBR is activated especially during cross – border implications. 2. Lead Government Departments The Lead Government Departments are responsible for leading a response in direct collaboration with COBR. It coordinates between all the local departments including the media and communication response systems during a level 2 (serious) catastrophe. In a level 1 response, the LGD is responsible with no interference from the COBR 3. Other Government Departments In any catastrophe such as a terrorist attack, natural calamity or epidemic, the various government departments play a major role by coordinating response and rescue services between the Health, Information and media and other organizations and agencies and ensure the rescue operations are a success. 4. Regional Civil Contingencies Committees (RCCC) All the different departments including the Central Government COBR work in direct coordination with the Regional Civil Contingencies Committees. However, during emergencies, unless required to co-ordinate between a response and recovery effort, it is used at the regional level. Its primary focus would be on issues regarding management and recovery efforts. (Central Government, pg. 23) 5. Local Strategic Coordinating Groups The Strategic Co-ordination Group comprises of an executive authority and senior representatives from the local organizations and makes strategic decisions during any emergency. A Government Liaison Officer usually acts as a useful bridge between the SCG and the COBR for both response and recovery efforts during a catastrophe. 6. Strategic gold A multi- agency Gold coordinating Group is the RCCC who is responsible for coordinating and communicating between the national and local departments in case of a severe emergency. An official Gold group would comprise of members of the health community and also members of the utilities department. 7. Tactical Silver Under the Strategic Gold there is the Tactical Silver who works in close tandem with the Strategic Gold in all emergency responses. 8. Operational level bronze The Operational Level Bronze works in close tandem with the Tactical Silver group who in turn is directly responsible to the Strategic Gold in all emergency operations. a) Serious Emergencies (Level- 2) – These emergencies mostly have a long and widespread impact and requires sustained support from many different departments and agencies from the government. E.g. an epidemic or serious attack of animal disease or major terrorist attacks. The overall management is undertaken by the Cabinet Office or the various Government Departments of the Lead Government Department. b) Significant Emergencies (Level 1) – Such emergencies are lesser when compared to levels 2 and 3. However, they receive support mainly from the Lead Government department and do not engage the complete activation of COBR. In some cases there may be a cross – government coordination which could help as an interface to the local Strategic Coordination group. E.g. smaller terrorist incidents, severe weather conditions and prison riots. Public safety against crimes, floods or road crashes are handled by the police departments who has a Strategic Police Commander from the Strategic Coordination Group who sees that protection is provided to the general public. (Central Government Arrangements, 2005, pg. 2) Considering the above 3 categories of emergency, the emergency we have at hand of the Chemical threat to the Birch Green area falls in the level 2 category of a serious emergency involving a terrorist act. The police from the various departments were called upon to render their services which included safety and protection to the citizens of the Birch Green area. They warned them of the impending chemical danger and gave them information on how to safeguard themselves by keeping themselves indoors. The public was advised not to come out into the streets because it was dangerous and they had blocked all the roadways. Public were also advised to get in touch with information service in case help was needed. Question 2 – Category 1 – List the responsibilities of the Category One Responders you would expect to be involved. In safeguarding public life and property, the U.K Government has made provisions for various services that could be used. The following are the different services made available to the general public in case of emergencies. In this scenario of the chemical threat to the Birch Green area, the following were the services utilized to safeguard the life and property of the people. 1. Emergency Services - In this category of services we have the Police, Fire and Rescue, Ambulance services, Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the British Transport Police. a) The Police –The police play a major role in handling land – based emergencies (Cabinet Office, Dealing with Disaster, pg. 8) such as road accidents, flooding of localized areas, petty crimes and industrial accidents. To coordinate various operational responses, the local Chief Officer of Police appoints a Police Gold Commander who would chair a Strategic coordination Group (SCG) (Central Government Arrangements, 2005, pg. 9) who would ensure stability and justice by working in close tandem with the family liaison officers. (Cabinet Office, Chap. 4) The police carried out a raid on the Birch Green area and found that terrorists were inside. In addition they came upon many computers, stolen credit cards and cheque books scattered around the place. While investigating they had found evidence that a Chemical attack was planned by the terrorists. The police immediately alerted people in the vicinity of the Birch Green area and blocked roads to prevent further traffic from coming in and being at risk. b) Fire and Rescue – The Fire and Rescue agency was alerted because it plays a very vital role in saving life and property. They were asked to be alert and well prepared to meet any catastrophe, even at the risk of their own lives. They are well trained to save life and alleviate suffering by responding immediately to catastrophes involving fire, water, gas etc. (Cabinet Office, Dealing with Disaster, pg. 9) An explosion at the foot of the Blackpool Tower badly needed the services of the Fire and Rescue department because reports had come in that there were several hundred people who were affected by the sprayed chemicals lying on the roadside. c) Ambulance Services – The Ambulance Services were called to remove the sick persons to the hospital. This agency is responsible for responding immediately accidents or sickness of any kind involving the dead or injured. (Cabinet Office, pg. 9) People in the Birch Green area who were sick from the chemicals and those who were injured due to vehicle collisions were rushed to the hospital for treatment by the Ambulance Services. d) British Transport Police – This agency is responsible for life on the road and involves immediate action in case of accidents. Their chief job is to direct traffic and see to the law and order on the roadways. This department was alerted as roads leading to the Birch Green area were blocked due to terrorists operations of a chemical attack. The transport police constantly kept in touch with the Information centre who coordinated with the Ambulance and Fire and Rescue Departments. 2. Local Authorities This category of services includes the County Councils, District Borough Councils and the Unitary Authorities. A civil contingency plan and its functioning is kept ready in place by each of the local authorities. Permission for carrying out rescue operations due to a chemical attack by terrorists was sought from these councils. Police authorities also got permission to cordon off the sensitive areas and roads leading to the Birch Green area. 3. The NHS The NHS comprising of various hospital trusts and other Primary Care Trusts were alerted to be prepared for casualties that may occur due to the threat of the Chemical attack. Police informed the NHS to be ready with medicines and equipment to meet the emergency situation of the terrorist attack in the Birch Green area. 4. Other Agencies The other agencies who contribute to protection to life and property are the Environmental Agency and the Health Protection Agency who were alerted by the police department to be alert and ready to render their services in lieu of a chemical attack in the Birch Green area. Question 3 –Discuss the issues arising with respect to treatment and identification of casualties Dangerous and catastrophic events result in high numbers of victims of disaster. Such victims include the following – The Dead Injured survivors Other survivors Family and friends of victims and survivors Bystanders and Responders. (Simon Gable, Casualty Management, Pg. 10) In any catastrophic incident the number of casualties cannot be predicted and the manner in which they are saved, recued and cared for depends on the climatic conditions, their locations and accessibility to carry them out. Agencies involved in disaster management should exercise deep respect not only to the dead but also towards the bereaved loved ones left behind. They should have a very caring approach and avoid giving false information of location or mistaken identities. Simon Gable, Casualty Management, Pg. 8) Voluntary agencies are called upon to render help and support by providing food, clothing and immediate psychological support to the injured and bereaved family and friends. Survivors who have been injured have to be stabilized before being taken to specialized hospitals. (Simon Gable, Casualty Management, pg. 15) The dead are handed over to their family members only with the consent of the Coroner. The unidentified dead are taken in trucks to a mortuary to ascertain the cause of death. The body is then prepared for postmortem and then preserved, refrigerated and made ready for dispatch. (Simon Gable, Casualty Management, pg. 24) Family and friends of either victims or survivors should be treated with a lot of understanding and care because of the bad impact the catastrophe would have had on them. A Family liaison officer with a dedicated and well trained team would be able to handle all the queries and fears of family and friends of victims or survivors. Question 4 – Critically evaluate the issues regarding warning and informing the public. Communication about the incident takes place at different levels. Detailed information of the incident is not shared with the general public because sometimes it could disturb the peace and harmony and sometimes it could evoke different feelings and emotions that could contribute to making a bad situation worse. Any information that was going to be made available to the public or other authorities should be checked for its authenticity and proper judgment. Informing the public about the immediate danger in an emergency situation is a must but discretion has to be used by the various organizations of what information should or should not be given. The public should not be informed of the emergency in a frightening manner because this could cause widespread panic and worsen the situation. Sensitive information to public should be avoided to avoid further trouble. However, if it entails emergency planning for any oncoming catastrophe, then such information should be disclosed in order to warn the public and help them make preparations to avoid the catastrophe. Planning and organizing things in advance helps to avert greater danger. The contribution and coordination of other emergency bodies in helping to organize and carry out the rescue plans is vital to the success of the rescue operations. Qs 4 - Support for Victims and Rescuers When sudden tragedy strikes which is much beyond human experience then victims could go into a state of shock also known as shell shock. The impact of having to witness someone being killed or badly injured could throw a normal person off balance. They could also experience stress disorders that are most often post traumatic. They dream, hallucinate or experience flashbacks of the incident and find it difficult to concentrate on other things or even go to sleep. Many of these victims exhibit fits of anger and alienate themselves from others in the society. Victims belong to different categories based on their association with the traumatic incident. Those who have had the most exposure are called Primary victims, while the grieving family and friends come under the category of Secondary victims. Rescuers are considered third level while those who come forward to share the victim’s grief are in the fourth level. The fifth level has those who are not directly associated but who are quite disturbed about the events and the 6th level are those who could have been victims but providence helped them escape. Helping victims cope with trauma is the primary aim of all those who volunteer to help them. Survivors are helped to locate and see the bodies of their loved ones. Various self help groups help them cope with their pain and suffering by counseling them at the right time. The incident is laid to rest by commemorating the event by paying due respect to the lost lives. Personnel belonging to the Rescue and Recovery team are also vulnerable to the traumatic incident because they are direct witnesses to children and fellow personnel dying. In addition to this they have to handle those who have passed away and at the same time keep in close connection with all the victims associated with the incident. They also have the difficult duty of getting around the victims to let go of the situation. All these personnel have to work very hard for their mission to be a success. Question 5 – Critically evaluate the issues surrounding incident communications. Communication about the incident takes place at different levels. Detailed information of the incident is not shared with the general public because sometimes it could disturb the peace and harmony and sometimes it could evoke different feelings and emotions that could contribute to making a bad situation worse. Any information that was going to be made available to the public or other authorities should be checked for its authenticity and proper judgment. (Cabinet Office, pg. 35) Sensitive information should not be exaggerated because this could lead to more confusion and chaos. All the emergency departments are required to work in tandem with the Information Department to ensure proper coordination of the operations and thereby its success. Easy access to communication services helps to alleviate a lot of stress and at the same time helps to curtail the catastrophe. Communication between all the departments is vital to achieve success in any emergency operation. A good example of this is the emergency called for in the birch Green area. As soon as the police received information they acted quickly and were able to nab the terrorists at their residence. As soon as they found evidence of a Chemical attack they alerted all the emergency departments who in turn responded immediately. It is only because of good communication between all the departments a bigger catastrophe was avoided. Question 6 – Formulate a strategy to deal with the attending media representatives. The media plays an important role during any emergency and hence their representatives are the people responsible for getting the news to the general public and constantly updating them on the development and progress of the emergency at hand. In some cases it is possible that exaggerated or wrong information is passed on such as ‘sensitive information that may alarm the public (International Association of Fire Chiefs, 2004) Therefore to prevent media representatives from passing on such inaccurate information and causing undue confusion and disturbances to the public, an appropriate plan of action is set into place. In order to ensure that a proper formulated strategy is put to good use, the involvement of media representatives during the framing process should is vital to ensure its proper execution. The following steps could be followed by Media Representatives – Briefing Location – Media representatives could assemble at a spacious and exclusive location away from the general public and the same place could be maintained until the emergency is lifted. News and information - that is handed over to the media should be clear and accurate so as to prevent ambiguity that may cause the public false alarms. Proper Identification – Tags pertaining to jobs or other identification such as badges or monograms are useful to identify media representatives that are allowed into the sensitive briefing area. Answers of the spokesperson - According to (Dunn, 2000) the spokesperson should listen carefully to what is being asked by the media person and should answer in a responsible manner by understanding the ‘incident and any impact the answer may cause to the press release.’ Press Statement – An accurate and authentic press statement has to be made available to the media representatives to act as a reference guide and to ensure that the general public receives the correct information. Follow – up – There should be a general follow – up on news published by the media representatives and they should be penalized if news given is exaggerated or false. Question 7 – Press Statement for the Media Terrorist Attack Date: 3rd November, 2009 Time: 12.00 hrs. Press Release No. 3/2009/12.00 The Skelmersdale’s Birch Green area had reported a house- raid that took place, sometime during midday today in connection with the enquiry made to counter the terrorist activities that had taken place. The suspected terrorist gang was caught red- handed on location, in addition to a lot of stolen credit cards, cheque books and money orders that were found scattered among the computers used for this purpose. Evidence collected at the site of the crime yielded a threat of involving a Chemical or Biological attack. Further evidence of chemicals being prepared in the bathroom of the building served to strengthen the doubt. Evidence retrieved from computers showed that Hand - gliders were to be utilized for disbursing the chemicals. A high level emergency alert was given and involved various emergency departments belonging to the level 2 group. Public Alert was activated whereby they were advised to – All individuals residing in the Birch Green area were asked to vacate the premises for fear of a Chemical attack which was dangerous to both life and property. Traffic was diverted away from the area and road blocks were placed to cordon off the area. People in the surrounding areas were asked to board up their houses and stay indoors to avoid any mishaps. Further, they were advised to report to the communication centre if they found anything unusual that raised suspicion. People were advised to contact the public Information Centre in case problems brewed up or if they spotted Hand-gliders or other aircraft in their locality. The public was also informed that a fully equipped medical team was at their disposal in case medical complications such as respiratory problems, fainting or any other health problems. In case of any untoward incident taking place, the public information centre should be immediately updated on the issue. Hotline numbers were notified to the public in case an emergency arose. As soon as further news is available, information and guidance will be updated here at 1800hrs. Conclusion Emergencies can take place at any time and as such it is a priority that we have to be prepared at all times if life and property have to be safe. To ensure this, the Government has trained personnel to take care of the different departments who are responsible for this. The general public should have a good understanding of the working of all these departments so that they would be in a better position to understand their rights and duties towards it when any emergency arises. In addition, understanding the working of each of these departments ensures better cooperation on the part of the public which would result in successful operations. References Cabinet Office, Dealing With Disaster, Revised 3rd Edition. Central Government Arrangements for responding to an Emergency. Media NCC, Concept of Operations, Cabinet Office, 2005. Communicating Risk. HM Treasury/Government Information and Communication Service, 2003. http://www.ukresilience.info/risk/index.htm Dunn, 2000 HM Government, Emergency Preparedness, Guidance Part I of the Civil Contingency Act, 2004. (2009) www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/ukresilience.aspx International Association of Fire Chiefs, 2004 James Peter, Government Spokesperson, Home Affairs Ministry. www.gov.co.uk Simon Gable, Casualty Management, Management of Dead Bodies in Disaster Situations. University of Central Lancashire. http://www.paho.org/english/dd/ped/ManejoCadaveres.htm Read More