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Last updated: 26 March 2009
The Public Education Group
This group was established under the chairmanship of Evan Morris, Community Affairs Manager for Cheshire Fire Service. Evan had developed some advanced public warning systems and educational materials, which were presented to the National steering Committee.
The first meeting of the Public Education group was held at Fire Service HQ in Cheshire on the 25th November 1997. A list of the group's membership is detailed in Appendix C [PDF 94KB].
From the outset the group took a very pragmatic view with regards to what could be achieved given the range covered in the terms of reference. The group was fortunate in having as one of their members, Doctor Gordon Walker, who had recently been involved in research commissioned by the HSE into public perception of risk in relation to the chemical industry.
Following the first meeting the consensus was that in the UK there was a distinct lack of understanding as to what action should be taken in an emergency. The need to shelter was an accepted action written into emergency plans, however it was not broadly promoted or understood.
5.2 The Cheshire Experience
Much work had been undertaken in Cheshire on this subject. Following a number of high profile incidents in Cheshire, which had caused considerable public anxiety a working group, had been established which started to try and address this issue. They subsequently produced a booklet called In Case of Emergency, which was distributed and promoted widely throughout Cheshire.
Essentially, it covered the following areas:
The phrase Go In, Stay In, Tune In was first used in this booklet and originated in Cheshire. The term is now widely used in UK, Europe and the USA. Its similarity with Get out, stay out, call the fire brigade out will give some clue as to its origins.
At the same time as this work was ongoing a company which had had a particularly serious incident which particularly shook public confidence was involved in an interesting education initiative. No one in the United Kingdom had actively promoted the need to shelter.
The company concerned (Octel) had produced videos for two of its sites, located in Cheshire and Anglesey, showing members of the public how to react in an emergency (SHELTER). These had been made available to everyone in the Public Information Zone (PIZ).
The two communities were very different, one having a large town population with associated public areas, the other a rural environment with much reduced awareness and emergency services. The positive understanding and responses to the information show a wide public value.
Interestingly this video mirrored the conclusions and work carried out by the Cheshire working group. When approached the company agreed to sponsor a Cheshire version, which was subsequently to be used in schools.
Working with young people
The subsequent video was aimed at school children in Key Stage 2, seven to eleven year olds. Cheshire Fire Service had had considerable success in educating young people in this age range. Indeed they had established, through educational psychologists, that this is the age range where young people develop a safety culture for life. Cheshire Fire Services Fire Survival Training with young people had resulted in three families' lives being saved by young people in the first three years, by actions directly attributable to this training.
Educational advisers were therefore involved in the scripting of the subsequent Cheshire video and it was targeted to achieve specific Standard Achievement Targets (SATS).
It is a credit to Cheshire Fire Service that this work with young people, notably putting them in synthetic smoke, was commenced in all Cheshire primary schools, early in the 1980's. This was well before the publication of Safe as Houses document, in the late 1990's, by the Home Office, which has acted as the catalyst to the development of Community Fire Safety.
"Go In, Stay In, Tune In"
This experience had an effect on the direction of the work undertaken by the Public Education Group. The Public Education Group had decided that the best way to make an impact nationally was to produce a national Shelter video aimed at young people. This medium should equally be able to be used with an adult audience without patronising them.
Particular credit should go to Steve Hick of the Emergency Planning College who is a linguistics expert and assisted greatly in achieving this.
Based on sound research
In May of 1998 Dr Gordon Walker wrote to The Chairman of the Public Education Group. Gordon as previously mentioned, had recently researched the public's perception of risk for the HSE, in relation to the chemical industry, in the UK. Dr Walker commented on the video treatment sent to him by the Chairman of the Public Education Group, as follows.
Education, at a national level is more effective than information to hand.
He said, "The emphasis on explaining why certain actions are appropriate is excellent and very important, this has been missing from most COMAH communications. Our research found that the public's scepticism over emergency actions instructions related to not understanding why shelter would be the best thing to do".
It is also important to be clear about the range of incidents for which Shelter applies. It is important to deal with people who are not near to their own homes (for example, out shopping, waiting for a bus, in their car etc...)
This correspondence was confirmation of the direction of the Public Education Group and the content of the video.
Sensitivities
It should be understood that the Public Education Group comprised people from many different backgrounds and interests who did not always see eye to eye. For example, there is a feeling within some parts of the chemical industry that any promotion of what to do in an emergency would increase the public's anxiety to risk. Equally, some industry representatives did not want to see a fixed CIMAH site used in the video.
A hauliers association did not want to see a tanker being used. The UK's record for tanker accidents is excellent. The hauliers association was concerned over giving a false impression in relation to the risk of tankers.
Reconciling these interests was not easy. However, a compromise was found.
Shelter, in the video, was to be promoted as the correct action to be taken in a range of events. As one committee member put it: "When the threat is outside, go in. When it's inside go out". As such the video begins with a range of incidents including, floods, earthquakes, chemical fires, forest fires, incidents involving radiation. The whole ethos being, when you get everyone off the street and inside, then you can start to communicate with them. The Association of Chief Police Officers agreed that shelter was the correct action to take in a civil emergency or siege.
After much debate it was agreed to use a chemical tanker in the video scenario. This would make it generic and able to be used realistically in areas, which had no CIMAH sites.
Contributing organisations
The Public Education Group had no access to public funding; therefore sponsorship had to be sought for this production.
The following companies donated a total of just over £20,000 towards the cost of producing the video:
A company called Training Video Associates was commissioned to complete the production.
Launch & distribution
The video was launched by the Home Office Minister, Mike O'Brien, at the Emergency Planning Society's Annual Conference in Bournemouth in 2000. Prior to its official launch, it had been seen by more than five thousand 10-11 year-old schoolchildren who had participated in two North Yorkshire Crucial Crew programmes.
The video has since been sent to all Chief Executives of Local Authorities with a recommendation that it be used in education programmes to educate young people.
The Chemical Industries Association (CIA) is also fully supportive of the video as a means of ensuring a better understanding of chemical incidents and the best way for the public to respond to them. Its approach and content has been reviewed by the Association's Responsible Care Advisory Group, the CHEMSAFE Industry Group and a number of Responsible Care Cells.
Consequently, CIA has decided to purchase a significant number of copies of the video for use by its member companies both to support their visits to local schools and to assist COMAH site operators in discussions with their local communities.
The support and guidance of Geoff Essery, the Chairman of SIESO (Society of Industrial Emergency Services Offices), and his role in promoting the video at every given opportunity to a range of influential audiences is acknowledged.
Use of the Video by the EU Commission
Along with another UK video and a Portuguese DVD, "Go in Stay in Tune in." will form the basis of the EU Commission's new strategy for 2002 "Learning protection through playing".
Conclusion
A video is not the panacea in ensuring the correct response from the public in an emergency. However, this production should not be underestimated.
Common agreement was found amongst a range of organisations in promoting an action, which is less widely understood than it should be. Emergency service practitioners (first responders) too, historically did not, and possibly still do not understand the rationale behind shelter.
Even in a large-scale explosion of a flammable substance or release of toxic gas close to a residential area, the safest place to be is inside.
There is of course always the potential for a major emergency, including a large-scale toxic or flammable release and therefore there is a need to educate people as the safest action to take in such an eventuality.
This production has helped to take the sensitivity away from the chemical industry as it applies to a range of incidents and therefore becomes more palatable.
Further work still needs to be done in this area, such as:
Recommendations in respect of public education
The NSC recommends that:
General enquiries: Cabinet Office, 22 Whitehall, London SW1A 2WH.
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