Major incidents and emergency planning

Major emergencies occasionally happen. Air and rail crashes, serious fires, chemical and gas incidents, bombs and terrorist activity and extreme weather all have a serious effect on our community. Although the likelihood of these incidents happening in Lambeth is small it is essential that when they do occur the Council is ready to respond, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Emergency Response Planning Team

The Emergency Response Planning Team is responsible for managing and co-ordinating this cross council service.

Our services

In a major emergency the first response will usually be from the police, fire or ambulance services. The council's involvement will follow on from the emergency services and can continue for days, weeks or sometimes months after. This will depend on the nature and scale of the incident

Some of the services we can provide are:

• supporting the emergency services in dealing with the incident
• providing buildings and other resources for the short term care of those evacuated or otherwise affected by the incident including catering and dealing with their individual welfare needs
• providing emergency transport
• protecting the environment and providing advice
• arranging counselling for all those in need
• assisting the community in its return to normality
• setting up a Disaster Fund Trust
• giving advice on dangerous structures
• maintaining and clearing the highways and other public spaces
• supporting the business community's recovery.

Planning

We employ an Emergency Planning Manager to plan for the unexpected, work with our response partners, train and instruct council staff and help co-ordinate the council's response. This work has a significant role in making it easier to get around Lambeth and making a safer Lambeth.

A major emergency requires a joint response from many individuals and agencies.

Apart from the emergency services and the council, voluntary organisations, the health services, public utilities, public transport providers, church and faith communities, the military, the media and many others may be involved.

We also have formal support and mutual aid links with its neighbouring boroughs and we are a partner to pan London emergency planning managed by the London Resilience Team.

We regularly meet with the emergency services and other organisations to ensure that we would be able to work together in an emergency.

London wide emergency planning

For information about London wide emergency planning visit the London Prepared website.

Our service standards

The council will:

• treat everyone equally, fairly, sensitively, and with respect
• ensure that it can provide a 365 day a year, 24 hour a day emergency response
• maintain an effective, tried and tested emergency plan
• do its best to keep you informed at regular intervals about the incident and how it will affect you. This will be done by the best means available at the time and can include door to door leafleting, the use of the council's web site and the broadcast media.

Who to contact

Emergency Response Planning Team
Room 212 Lambeth Town Hall
Brixton Hill
London
SW2 1RW
Tel: 020 7926 1000