Within the United Kingdom there is no single agency that has all the skills, knowledge and resources to deal with the variety of effects caused by emergencies. Therefore, any major emergency requires a combined and co-ordinated response, which draws together the expertise and the resources of the different emergency services, local authorities, health services, and many other organisations that, depending on the time of the emergency, may be involved.

The number and diversity of organisations involved in responding and recovering from an emergency can pose difficulties for the effective management of local operations. Therefore, this plan provides a summary of the responses and responsibilities of each of the category 1 and 2 responders at a major incident, as well as an outline of the support role offered by other organisations. It outlines how the responding organisations will work in collaboration as part of a coherent multi-agency effort.

The procedures adopted by each organisation in response to a major incident are understandably devoted to the role of the organisation concerned. The purpose of this document is to ensure an effective multi-agency response through the concept of integrated emergency management. It describes the agreed procedures and arrangements for the effective co-ordination of their joint efforts. In this way the overall response of the emergency services will be greater than the sum of their individual efforts, to the benefit of the public.

As every major incident is different, this plan acts as a guide for those organisations who are responsible for the successful resolution of the incident. It is designed to offer a framework for integrated emergency management within which organisations are able to work together with maximum efficiency.

Emergency response is based on a bottom-up approach in which operations are managed and decisions are made at the lowest appropriate level. Experience suggests that there are many seemingly innocuous sets of circumstances that can, if not dealt with speedily, escalate to the level of a major incident. No one is criticised for treating an incident as serious in the first instance even if events later proves not to be. The definitions and procedures contained in this document, dealing with major incidents, apply equally to arrangements, which should be put in hand to ensure the speedy resolution of seemingly minor incidents.

The plan covers an inclusive list of factors that need to be considered in a major incident, including;

• How a major incident is declared and how LRF partners are notified
• The main functions of Category 1 and Category 2 Responders
• Actions that should be taken by the first officers at the scene
• How to manage the scene
• Command and Control
• The role of the Strategic Co-ordinating Group
• Communications
• Care and treatment of victims
• Health and Safety
• Other assistance
• Media
• Warning and Informing the Public