Emergency planning in Oxfordshire
The Council works with partner organisations to maintain plans to support the response to any emergency incident that arises in the District.
The initial response to an emergency incident is normally led by the Emergency Services.
As a category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 Cherwell District Council will work with the emergency services and many other organisations to identify the potential emergency incidents that could arise and to plan the response to those incidents. This work reduces the risk of incidents occurring and minimises the impact if they do happen.
The Council is supported by Joint Oxfordshire Resilience Team in this work. The County Council website includes a number of resources which will be of use to communities and businesses when considering how to reduce the risks of emergency incidents.
Emergency planning (OCC website)
Flood Toolkit
Flooding can happen at any time and sometimes with little warning. Therefore preparation is key to making sure you, your family and your friends are safe, as well as reducing the damage to your home and treasured belongings.
Oxfordshire County Council is the Lead Local Flood Authority for Oxfordshire. The Oxfordshire Flood Toolkit provides resources and information about flooding, and how to seek help in the event of flooding.
Current flood alerts and flood warnings and the five-day flood risk for Oxfordshire is available on the regularly updated Environment Agency's webpage.
Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum (TVLRF)
Cherwell District Council have an active role within the Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum (TVLRF)
What is the Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum?
The Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum is a multi-agency partnership made up of representatives from local public services, including the emergency services, local authorities, the NHS, and others. These agencies are known as Category 1 Responders.
This partnership is supported by Category 2 responders. They have a responsibility to co-operate and to share relevant information with the LRF. These responders include the Highways Agency, public utilities, and others. Responders can vary from the British Red Cross, to the MoD.
In an incident, everyone comes together to help the people of Thames Valley by responding in a way that minimises the impact on the public, property, and environment of Thames Valley.
The Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum was established by the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, which placed a duty on public sector organisations – local authorities, emergency services, to warn, inform and advise the public in the event of an emergency. The borders of the Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum match those of Thames Valley Police and cover an area of the 2,200 square miles of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Milton Keynes.
Are You Ready?
Major Incidents do occur from time to time. You don’t panic when a light bulb goes out because you know how to replace it. Its always good to be prepared.
Have you ever thought what you would do if you found yourself in a situation that was out of the ordinary? For example, if you were flooded by a burst water main, if you were evacuated from your home following a gas leak in your road or you were stuck in a traffic jam for several hours during a heat wave.
Being prepared in advance means that you will deal with the issue more effectively at the time. If you know what to do in advance then you are more likely to make the right choices – and it can be very easy to prepare a plan for your home and family. Being prepared can help reduce the effects on people’s lives, reduce the need for support from others and enable you to support the vulnerable members of your street and community.