Emergency Planning

Major Emergency Planning

Ashford Borough Council has a Major Emergency Plan which helps it deal effectively with any 'major emergency'. The public version [pdf] 1619KB of this plan can be viewed for reassurances of what plans we have in place in case of a major emergency or incident being declared affecting our borough.

It's response will be alongside other services such as the Police, Kent Fire & Rescue Service, South East Coast Ambulance, NHS Kent & Medway, Environment Agency or Kent County Council.

A 'major emergency' can cause death, injury or serious disruption to normal life for large numbers of people. The scale and duration of the emergency may mean that public services can no longer operate under their normal conditions special arrangements are needed to be put in place to deal with it.

All of the council's staff take part in emergency planning, training and emergency exercises.

Public Preparedness - How will you prepare for an emergency?

Emergencies such as flooding, fires and power cuts can affect us all. There are simple and effective steps you can take to be more prepared.

If an emergency did happen in your area, how would you manage? What about your relatives, friends, neighbours or colleagues – do you know anyone who might need some extra help or support?

The government have launched www.gov.uk/prepare to help you find all information you need, including:

• Preparing for emergencies (such as making a household plan and emergency kit)
• Be more informed about hazards (such as set up for flood and weather alerts)
• Get involved in activities to support yourself and your community (volunteering and priority registers)

If you would like to know more about emergency planning or preparing for emergencies, please also visit the following websites:

• Kent Prepared
• Emergency Planning Society UK
• Cabinet Office - Guidance for preparing for emergencies

What are our risks?

The Kent Community Risk Register is available to view via Kent Prepared - Kent Community Risk Register.

The risk register is based on national guidance and developed locally to determine what are our most likely risks in Kent. This may include risks such as flooding, severe weather or loss of utilities.

There is also a local Community Risk Register for Ashford [pdf] 238KB which details the main risks for the Ashford borough. This document can be used by local parishes and community groups to help write your own Community Resilience Plans. Further information of this can be found on our Community Emergency Plans page.

Business Continuity Management

Business Continuity is a process that helps keep an organisation going even when an emergency or incident happens, such as staff shortages or loss of IT systems or buildings we work from.

The council puts in place business continuity plans that identifies what our critical functions are. It then manages the risk to the delivery of these essential services, such as benefits and housing and ensures an effective recovery plan is in place after the incident.

Please visit our business continuity page for further information.

Contact us

For further information or advice on any aspect of Emergency Planning or Business Continuity, please call 01233 331111 or email emergency.planning@ashford.gov.uk