Civil Contingency Planning
Civil contingency planning is designed to anticipate, guard against, prevent, reduce or overcome any risk, harm or loss that may be associated with natural, technological or man-made crises or disasters in peacetime.
Scottish emergency planning and response is based on the principles of Integrated Emergency Management (IEM). The basis of IEM is that plans for emergencies should focus on the effects of events rather than their causes.
Contingency planning is part of the everyday business of Government and public and private bodies. The purpose is to ensure that flexible plans are in place to deal effectively with any emergency, major or minor, foreseen or unforeseen - from horrific events such as the 7/7 London bombings to more common problems such as flooding along river courses. The basic principles of assessing risks, identifying preventive measures, preparing and testing plans, responding to emergencies and assisting a rapid return to normality remain valid whatever the type of incident.
Leading the response
Where the Government is involved, responsibility for any action supporting the response rests with the "lead" Government department which is the one that has day-to-day policy responsibility for the subject. For example, the Health Directorate will lead on emergencies involving public health and Environment and Rural Affairs will deal with flooding. Where the lead is unclear because of the nature of a particular incident, responsibility would rest with the Government's Justice Directorate.
The basic principle applied in Scotland and the UK is of local management of incidents. Eight regional Groups throughout Scotland, led by the Chief Constable and Local authority Chief Executives, make detailed plans for all types of incidents in their area. These plans are exercised regularly and all groups have experience of dealing with different types of emergencies.
The Resilience Advisory Board for Scotland (RABS) brings together senior representatives of all the Category 1 responders under the chairmanship of the Scottish Government's Director General, Justice & Communities). RABS ensures that steps are taken to respond to the changing risk environment.