1. Emergency Planning Unit

As a Category One responder under the UK Government Civil Contingencies Act 2004, Southampton Emergency Planning Unit has a statutory duty to:

• Assess risk
• Create emergency plans
• Make information available to the public
• Maintaining arrangements to warn, inform and advise the public in the event of an emergency
• Establish Business Continuity Management arrangements
• Be available on-call to assist during an emergency, ensuring elements such as the temporary shelter of evacuated civilians is managed and temporary rest centres are co-ordinated

These activities are achieved through effective co-ordination and co-operation with other local Category One responders such as the fire, police and ambulance services and the Environment Agency.

The unit also works with Category Two responders within the Act including voluntary organisations, transport and utility companies.

Finally, the unit works with other Category One and Two responders across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight including county-wide emergency services and nearby local authorities. This is achieved through the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Resilience Forum (HIOW LRF). An organisation that meets through several sub-groups, each related to a different area of emergency planning throughout Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.