COMMUNITY EMERGENCY PLAN - Fifepublications.fifedirect.org.uk/NWFCC Emergency plan... · Newport, Wormit and Forgan Community Council Emergency Plan - 10 February 2016 3 RESILIENT

Newport, Wormit and Forgan Community Council Emergency Plan - 10 February 2016

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COMMUNITY EMERGENCY PLAN

NEWPORT, WORMIT AND FORGAN COMMUNITY COUNCIL

IF YOU ARE EVER IN IMMEDIATE DANGER

CALL 999


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CONTENTS Page No

________________________________________ Resilient Communities Introduction 3 1 Overview of the Communities 4 2 Aim and Objectives 7 3 Activation of the Plan 8 4 General Information 11 5 Useful Links and Contacts 14


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RESILIENT COMMUNITIES

‘Resilient Communities’ is an initiative supported by local, Scottish and UK Government. The principles of which are, communities and individuals harnessing and developing local response and expertise to help themselves during an emergency in a way that complements the response of emergency services and other emergency responders. Emergencies can include severe weather, floods, landslides, fires and major transport accidents. Preparing your community and your family for these types of events will make it easier to recover following the impact of an emergency. Being aware of the risks that you as a community or family may encounter, and who within your community might be able to assist, could make your community better prepared to cope with an emergency. Local emergency responders will always have to prioritise those in greatest of need during an emergency, especially where life is in danger. During these times you, as a community, need to know how to help yourself and those around you until assistance arrives. A resilient community is achieved by using a framework called a Resilient Community Plan; this is specific to the community council area and can be split down into local maps, flood maps, risk assessment, asset register, insurance information and general guidance for individuals of the community. The ethos of the plan is to formulate and co-ordinate voluntary support and assistance and direct this to those that require it within a community, in a non-mechanised manner of response. It should be noted that the Resilient Communities Plan is not there to reduce or replace a response from the local authority or the emergency services but it should complement and support the overall response. It is suggested that this plan is read along with the information in the Fife Council website by following the link http://www.fifedirect.org.uk and then links to community resilience.

http://www.fifedirect.org.uk/


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Section 1 OVERVIEW OF THE COMMUNITIES 1.1 Location And Access To Newport on Tay, Wormit and Forgan

The Communities of Newport, Wormit and Forgan are located on the south bank of the River Tay. Much of the community is north facing and for large parts of the winter months direct sunshine is reduced by the natural raised terrain to the south. This can cause icing problems on the roads, some of which are very steep. There are three main access points for the community

Coming off the Tay Road Bridge at the south access via the B946 into Newport on Tay from the north east.

Via the A92 Forgan Roundabout, access can be obtained on the B995 past the Forgan Arts Centre and the primary school. Access can also be obtained off the A92 dual carriageway at Station Brae and the Inverdovat Road.

The access to Wormit can be either through Newport on Tay and along the busy West Road and Riverside Road or via the B946 from The Gauldry, the Five Roads Roundabout or by turning off the A92 onto the B946.

There is no significant history of any of these roads being blocked by bad weather but the B946 through the communities is busy and subject to on street parking.


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Newport, Wormit and Forgan Community Council area. 1.2 Historical Incidents Affecting the communities

The main east coast railway line crosses the Tay reaching a landfall at Wormit. There was a train crash in July 1955 in Wormit on the Tayport branch line which has since been removed. The main railway line now crosses the rail bridge from Dundee and continues south through Fife and ultimately to Edinburgh. It crosses Bay Road Wormit and the route continues roughly parallel to the B946 until it is out with the built up area south of Wormit. Road access during bad winters, as in 2010 and 2011, becomes challenging due to the topography of the north facing steep streets, sheltered from sunshine. Residents residing on these steeper streets often leave their cars on the B946, main through road, resulting in congestion and difficulties for emergency services, local buses and council vehicles. 1.3 Potential causes of concerns for today’s Communities The communities are “dormitory villages” with many people working in Dundee, St Andrews and Cupar or further afield. They are reliant on the Tay Road Bridge (A92) which is occasionally closed during periods of high winds


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or for other reasons. Alternative routes involve a 55 mile round trip via the Friarton Bridge. There are stretches of the B946 through the two communities that have no parallel route, consequently should there be a blockage or for example a landslide causing a road closure the alternative routes could be lengthy. There is some vehicular conflict with pedestrian routes to school and school drop, particularly at Newport, where there is no parking available for parents with resulting congestion at peak periods of the day. Power outages are always a potential during the winter period and contingency plans are in place to address this eventuality. Severe Weather: Over recent winters the weather has caused problems for many communities in Scotland, consequently all aspects of the effects of sustained heavy rain, snow or wind must be fully considered as these are the most likely causes of significant concern for many local residents. Due to the local topography the communities are mainly on a slope however this in itself can create problems due to excessive run off, ponding on the roads and temporary flooding of gardens and houses should there be prolonged periods of rain on top of already saturated ground. Any incidents that arise should be examined holistically and consideration given towards permanent solutions or contingency planning and preparations in the event of future recurrence. Local residents are encouraged to come forward with their problems and potential solutions to Community Council members to help build up a wider knowledge of local issues and share solutions so as to assist in helping others. For example, there may be a case for a local stock of sandbags and water gates to be held in the locality. Traffic Incident: Most of the through traffic avoids the communities as it is routed along the A92 but heavy vehicles and buses do go through Newport on Tay in particular. The main concern for many residents in the community is the speed of traffic, local congestion and also the X54 Stagecoach bus which is a very large vehicle in comparison to the road width and it often causes traffic flow challenges at peak periods. The A92 east of Newport passes through a cutting and also over an embankment at the rear of a residential area. There is potential for collateral damage due to a serious heavy vehicle accident or fire in these areas as there are houses close to the road.


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Section 2 AIM AND OBJECTIVES 2.1 Aim of the Community Emergency Plan The aim of this plan is to help the communities and individuals of Newport on Tay, Wormit and Forgan prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies in a way that complements the work of the statutory emergency responders. 2.2 Objectives of the Community Emergency Plan The objectives of this plan are to:

Raise awareness and understanding of the local risk and emergency response provision in order to motivate and support self-resilience

Increase individual, family and community resilience against potential threats and hazards

Support and encourage effective and ongoing dialogue between the community and the emergency responders supporting them

Provide a framework and support to enable the creation, delivery and activation of a resilient community plan


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Section 3 ACTIVATION OF THE PLAN 3.1 Initial Activation The activation of this plan may be initiated by any member of the community, a local Councillor or the Fife Council Duty Resilience Officer by contacting one of the coordinators below; however in an emergency always call 999 first. The activation will be dependent on the nature and scale of the emergency incident facing the communities and individuals of Newport on Tay, Wormit and Forgan. The Emergency Co-ordinator, or either of the deputy Coordinators, can make a decision to call a ‘meeting’ of the Community Council Emergency Response Group in order to:

Discuss the incident at hand and establish if a response is necessary

Determine the nature of the response

Nominate a key representative from the committee to link in with the wider resilience community and facilitate local activities and actions. This would normally be one of the coordinators.

Deliver the response determined

Select the most appropriate resources from the Resources Register which will be required and the order in which they should be deployed

3.2 Community Council Emergency Committee Emergency Coordinators:

Contact Role Tel no

Stephen Rottger Emergency coordinator 01382543143

Rick Dunkerley Deputy to above 01382543198

Andy Gillies Deputy to above 01382542432

Emergency Committee: The Emergency Committee would be formed by those members of the Community Council who are available to attend and assist the coordinators support local activity when the plan has been activated. Emergency Response Group (ERG): In the event of an emergency that requires the physical attendance and activity of personnel from the Emergency Committee to form an Emergency Response Group, the Emergency Coordinator will advise the Fife Council Duty Emergency Resilience Officer of the intended activity and initiate the call out process for volunteers to deal with the matter in hand. It is good practice to record the activities involved, i.e. times and decisions made with the rationale explaining the activity.


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3.3 Call-out stages of Activation ‘pyramid’

Member of the committee made aware of incident

Meeting of Emergency Response Group (ERG) in person or by phone to discuss the matter

Analysis of the situation

Determine whether or not an Emergency is called (Yes/No)

Record deliberations If Yes,

Contact Fife Council’s Duty Emergency Resilience Officer to advise of issues, identify support required and any actions to be taken by ERG.

Confirm activity required

ERG to carry out agreed actions and record progress If No,

Agree monitoring requirements and contingency if conditions change.

Record the nature of the matter and decision made and by whom 3.4 Action Card for Volunteers All community Council members will be provided with an action card to assist them when/if activated.

EXAMPLE VOLUNTEER ACTION CARD (Please refer to this card in the event you are requested to provide support during an emergency):

Confirm, with the Emergency Coordinator, your availability to respond

Confirm your contact details for the duration of your response

Wear appropriate clothing to suit the response / task

Be aware of your health & safety and of others during your response

Do not take unnecessary risks (request advice / support if in doubt)

Raise concerns (other than 999 situations) immediately with the Emergency Co-ordinator

Up to date contact numbers on reverse


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3.5 Communication The ERG will use various methods to communicate this activity and its purpose to the relevant communities of Newport on Tay, Wormit and Forgan including:-

word of mouth

advertising in local public buildings

local radio

local community websites

local community meetings

the community council Facebook page and other appropriate mechanisms as they become available. There is an active community website in Newport on Tay which can be used as well as the school bag drop system from the two primary schools.


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Section 4 GENERAL INFORMATION 4.1 Community Information To be able to establish if a response is required and how any response is prioritised it is essential that the Emergency Response Group has relevant community information. The ERG will

Liaise directly with relevant Fife Council and other contacts Liaise with known community contacts Circulate information locally that the plan has been activated

It is acknowledged that obtaining information to guide and prioritise responses is a complex task. There can be no guarantee that the activation of any communication channel will result in all relevant information being made known to the ERG. However, it is anticipated that in an enduring emergency situation - e.g. sustained severe weather – the communication systems adopted will ensure that the people of the Community Council area are aware of the activation of the ERG and have access to information on how to contact the group to obtain support, where required. PLEASE NOTE SOME OF THESE ROLES BELONG TO OTHER AGENCIES AND POTENTIAL CONFLICT MUST BE GUARDED AGAINST

REMEMBER -IF YOU ARE EVER IN IMMEDIATE DANGER CALL 999

4.2 Recruiting volunteers There is no formal structure for recruitment of volunteers to support this plan; however the existing Community Council members are likely to assist in the activities required to assist emergency responders in the first instance. The CC members know the local, key community minded people and will actively seek tacit support through a variety of mechanisms i.e. word of mouth, normal social networking, attending groups and clubs and simply chatting with friends, colleagues and contacts. In addition, any persons reading this plan who are keen to lend their support can contact the coordinators to indicate their willingness to assist if they are free to do so at the time. The foreseen tasks are not arduous and will only be allocated along with others and where the community has a real need for help. 4.3 Other Resources Other specific resources may well be required depending on the emergency incident affecting the village area and an up to date register of the different types of businesses and equipment will be further developed and improved in time.


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4.4 Insurance The activities of the assigned volunteers will require to be covered by public liability insurance to handle any claims for loss, injury or damage brought by third parties and by employers’ liability insurance for any injuries sustained by the volunteers in the execution of the tasks. The insurance cover currently in place for both Fife Council and for the Community Council provides cover for volunteers and this will extend to the assigned volunteers identified within the Community Emergency Plan. To ensure that the level and value of any such claims is mitigated as far as possible, all assigned volunteers must undergo appropriate training for all foreseeable tasks that they may be required to undertake. This training should be recorded and refreshed as appropriate with supporting documentation held on file. This will help to ensure that the volunteers have appropriate skills for the tasks assigned to them and will provide a defence to any claims that may arise as a result of the activities. 4.5 Disclosure Checks The duties that a volunteer is likely to undertake whilst supporting their community is unlikely to require a disclosure check. If a volunteer is required to enter a house it will be at the discretion of the householder and it is suggested that if volunteers have to enter a house, they do so in pairs. Similarly, if a volunteer is asked to pick up a prescription it is at the discretion of the person requiring it, and it should be stressed to the pharmacist that there should be no evidence of medicine on the bag or the container. 4.6 Legal Disclaimer Regarding Community Responsibilities Fife Council wishes to make it clear that it is not the employing body for the volunteers referred to in this plan. They are volunteers, acting on behalf of the Community Council. Fife Council accepts no responsibility for any loss, injury, claim, liability, costs or damages caused by the actions and/or negligence of the volunteers or anyone acting for or on behalf of them. 4.7 Health & Safety The health and safety issue has to be taken cognisance of, but should not overwhelm the task; hence a common sense approach is stressed. Health and Safety legislation doesn’t generally apply to someone who is not an employer, self-employed or an employee.


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The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the regulations made under it apply if any organisation (including a voluntary organisation) has at least one employee. This Act sets out the general duties employers have towards employees. It also requires employers and the self-employed to protect people other than those at work (e.g. members of the public, volunteers, clients and customers) from risks to their health and safety arising out of, or in connection with, their work activities. Whilst carrying out voluntary activities for the community, the Emergency Co-ordination Team and volunteers must be aware of health and safety guidance, which in this case due to the likely activities, is a common sense approach. The task should be assessed, the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) should be selected and worn, and the task should be continually re-assessed during operation. For example when clearing snow, the area to be cleared should be checked to ensure that there are no hazards i.e. icicles that could drop onto the volunteers. The correct PPE for this task would be boots, gloves, hard hat and a fluorescent jacket. 4.8 Data Protection The Emergency Committee is responsible for the contact information held in this plan and this will only be used to make contact with you in an emergency situation or to ask if you are able to take part in activities which help in the community. If you no longer wish to participate in this initiative, please contact the Emergency Committee Co-ordinator and your details will be securely deleted. 4.9 Maintenance of the Plan The CCEC will review and maintain this plan on an annual basis.

Review date By Whom Version control

10 February 2016 R Dunkerley Version February 2016

4.9 Further advice and Guidance For further useful links and contacts please refer to the table in section 5 below.


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Section 5 USEFUL LINKS AND CONTACTS

FIFE COUNCIL - December 2015

Duty Emergency Resilience Officer

01592 583 544 (24/7)

Contact Centre 03451 550000 (8am to 5pm Monday to Friday)

Contact Centre – out of hours

03451 550099 (5pm to 8am Monday to Friday and 24/7 weekends and Public Holidays)

Emergency Resilience Team

General Information Website

www.fifedirect.org.uk/emergency

planning

Winter Mini-site Useful information and updates over the winter months

www.fifedirect.org.uk/winter

Closures and Disruptions

03451 551199 www.fifedirect.org.uk/closures

OTHER

Gas Emergency 0800 111 999 http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/gas/

Scottish Power (Faults & Emergencies)

0800 092 9290 http://www.spenergynetworks.co.uk/pages/power_cuts.asp

Scottish Water 0800 0778 778 http://www.scottishwater.co.uk/contact-us

SEPA Floodline 0345 988 1188 www.floodlinescotland.org.uk

SEPA Pollution 0800 807 060

NHS 24 111 www.nhs24.com

Met Office Weather www.metoffice.gov.uk

Traffic Updates - Scotland

www.trafficscotland.org

BBC Travel News – Edinburgh, Fife and East Scotland

Report an Incident: 0330 123 0184

http://www.bbc.co.uk/travel/edinburghandeastscotland/incidents/road

Kingdom FM News desk 01592 750 728

www.kingdomfm.co.uk

Forth 1 Reception 0131 556 9255

www.forth1.com

Royal Voluntary Service (RVS)

Community Support from response to recovery For information: 0845 608 0122

http://www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/

http://www.fifedirect.org.uk/emergencyplanning

http://www.fifedirect.org.uk/emergencyplanning

http://www.fifedirect.org.uk/winter

http://www.fifedirect.org.uk/closures

http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/gas/

http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/gas/

http://www.spenergynetworks.co.uk/pages/power_cuts.asp

http://www.spenergynetworks.co.uk/pages/power_cuts.asp

http://www.scottishwater.co.uk/contact-us

http://www.scottishwater.co.uk/contact-us

http://www.floodlinescotland.org.uk/

http://www.nhs24.com/

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/

http://www.trafficscotland.org/




http://www.kingdomfm.co.uk/

http://www.forth1.com/



COMMUNITY EMERGENCY PLAN - Fifepublications.fifedirect.org.uk/NWFCC Emergency plan... · Newport, Wormit and Forgan Community Council Emergency Plan - 10 February 2016 3 RESILIENT

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