Our Work
Last updated | 02/11/2009
Perth & Kinross Council works with our partners as part of the Tayside Strategic Co-ordinating Group (Tayside SCG) to plan for and respond to emergencies.
The Tayside SCG consists of Perth & Kinross Council, Angus Council, Dundee City Council, Scottish Ambulance Service, Tayside Police, Tayside Fire & Rescue, NHS Tayside, Maritime & Coastguard Agency and Scottish Environmental Protection Agency.
Legislation
Our work is guided by the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and the Contingency Planning (Scotland) Regulations 2005. This legislation places clear roles and responsibilities on those organisations with a part to play in responding to emergency situations.
Under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, there are Category 1 responders (the principal organisations with a role to play in responding to an emergency) and Category 2 responders (those who provide support, such as utility and transport companies).
The Tayside SCG consists of Category 1 responders - Perth & Kinross Council, Angus Council, Dundee City Council, Scottish Ambulance Service, Tayside Police, Tayside Fire & Rescue, NHS Tayside, Maritime & Coastguard Agency and Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and Category 2 responders, the utilities and voluntary agencies.
As a Category 1 responder, the duties of a local authority include developing emergency and business continuity plans, and working with other Category 1 responders to create a Community Risk Register. The purpose of a community risk register is to assess possible risks to communities in a particular area so that Category 1 responders can prepare and test emergency plans for responding to an emergency.
Tayside Community Risk Register
The Tayside Community Risk Register outlines the process for identifying potential risks in Tayside, and provides information on the controls that are in place to respond to each risk.
The fact that a risk is included in the Register does not mean that any particular incident will happen. The Register is a means of ensuring that controls are in place should various emergency situations arise.
Local authorities also have a duty to provide business continuity advice for businesses and voluntary organisations.
Our role in an emergency
The role of the Council will depend on the kind of emergency situation that arises, but may include setting up emergency rest centres, arranging temporary accommodation, providing meals and meeting other welfare needs of people affected by the emergency.
