Emergency Information Procedures
What to do in a major emergency
Our advice is clear:
- If you are at the scene, follow the instructions
of the emergency services.
- If you are further away but think you may be
affected, GO IN, STAY IN, and TUNE IN. Go indoors
and stay there. The authorities will use local radio
and TV to deliver information and advice.
Principles for emergency information
Public safety is our absolute priority in all
decisions about public information or warnings.
If a warning is ever necessary to protect public
safety in the face of a specific and credible threat, we
will issue one without hesitation, and we will provide
any further information that will help you respond
effectively.
However, there is no such thing as a 'standard'
terrorist threat or major incident, and therefore no
such thing as a standard response. Our response to any
incident, including chemical or biological incidents –
accidental or otherwise – would depend on a number of
factors – for example, what the danger is, who is
affected by it, and how best to contain the incident.
Trained personnel from the emergency services are best
placed to decide the appropriate response on the ground.
To give detailed advice in advance about how to
handle every potential threat would be misleading and
unhelpful. Worse, it could lead to confusion in an
actual incident – the advice given for one type of
situation might be wrong in different circumstances.
We, and the emergency services, will provide
immediate information and advice in the event of a
discernible threat or a specific incident.
Back to Top
Emergency broadcasting systems
We have arrangements with the BBC and other
broadcasters to ensure that, in the event of any
incident, we can get the right information to those who
need it, when they need it.
This emergency broadcasting system allows us to
provide immediate information or warnings through the
whole range of radio, television and online services,
including Ceefax, Teletext and websites.
The Media Emergency Forum
The Media Emergency Forum is a group that was set up
in the mid-90s as a voluntary arrangement between the
media, government and the emergency services to develop
best practice in getting the right information to the
right people in an emergency. This work has included
developing protocols and high level contacts for use in
emergencies, planning for the millennium, and giving
feedback after major incidents.
Recent developments include a network of regional
Media Emergency Forums. These will bring together local
news media and local emergency services so that
area-specific information and advice can be quickly
distributed in an emergency.
New technologies
We are also evaluating new technologies – such as
the phone system, mobile phones, pagers, and digital
technology – as methods to quickly disseminate
information and advice.
Systems for businesses
In major UK cities such as Manchester, Leeds,
Liverpool - and soon Bristol - a pager warning system is in
place for city centre businesses.
In London, City of London police have an early
warning system for major incidents that can quickly send
security- and crime-related information to City
businesses by pager, text message and email.
Back to Top
|
