Coordinating Good Practices - Flooding

Superintendent Ian Birnie - Grampian Police&

Inspector Paul Scobbie - Tayside Police

How do emergency plans best adapt to new advance forecasting, include severe weather

warnings and risk-based approaches?

How do Police Forces best co-ordinate with other groups (notably SEPA, the Met Office, the other emergency responders as well as the public) in

response to the flood emergencies of varying scale, including during the recovery phase?

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Consequences

• Not cause

TAYSIDE POLICETAYSIDE POLICE Making a Difference

Use of Forecast Data

• to give an indication of the possibility of a flood event including likely duration, speed of thaw, coverage etc

• to show specifically where flood events may take affect, areas requiring to be monitored etc

• to provide a heads up warning to agencies, control rooms, duty officers, volunteers, utilities etc

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Use of Local data

• Local Authorities provide SCG partners with very good local information as to how bad a flood event is likely to get based on historical monitoring.

• Local farmers in particular have a vested interest in monitoring and comparing the scale of flood events.

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Co-ordination Arrangements

• It is generally accepted that the Police will co-ordinate multi-agency arrangements in preparing for and responding to weather events including flood events.

• This replicates existing arrangements for many land based type incidents.

• Agencies are familiar with this process and know how they fit in.

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Triggers to be considered

• increase in number of weather/flood related public assistance calls

• increase in partner assets deployed to weather/flood related incidents

• disruption to transport or infrastructure

• worsening weather conditions

• benefit from agencies working together

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Tactical Co-ordination

• Tactical Command Centre – usually within a Police building

• Actual meetings or virtual meetings via teleconference and/or videoconference

• Updates and Sitreps from multi-agency partners including utilities

• Liaison with Scottish Government via co-ordinators or EPO’s

• Media issues – sharing of joint agreed responses

• Circulations of actions etc to partners.

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Meetings

• Introductions• Matters for Immediate Attention• Set/confirm objectives• Forecast• Matters arising/action log• Cat 1 Updates• Cat 2 Updates• Actions and Priorities• Public Communications • Future Co-ordination arrangements• AOB• T/DONM• Note of meeting and action log circulated within an hour

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Operational Activity

• Police• Co-ordinate the

overall response• Convene multi-

agency meetings to identify priorities

• Set up supporting infrastructure – RVP, diversions, Forward Control Point etc

• Fire and Rescue• Responsibility for

Flood Rescue• Co-ordinate all rescue

activity in the “hot zone.”

• Identify assets required and task them appropriately

• Risk assess taskings

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Lessons Learned

• Need for specific plans

• Need for accurate data to make proper assessment of scale of events – build a picture

• Ensure all contact numbers are in place

• Make decisions early

• Consider media and public warning at earliest stages

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Lessons Learned

• Storage and distribution of sand bags and signs

• Assets and capability register

• Team Typing and Team Tasking