The Council’s mission statement for emergency planning is:
To work with external partners to deliver an efficient and robust approach to emergency management and to reduce the impact of emergencies on the community through support for and the development of community resilience.
The Council’s Emergency Planning Policy, which includes this mission statement, lays out the controls, requirements and actions that are taken forwards across the Council in order to make sure that we meet this mission statement and its stated aims.
The Peace & Emergency Planning Unit (PEPU) is responsible for ensuring the Council is prepared to respond to emergencies under its own duties and in support of its partners and affected communities. Our work is informed by both the Council’s own priorities and statutory duties but also those from national, regional and sub-regional resilience activities and priorities. Two overall outcomes for the service and the Council are to deliver:
- Improved resilience to identified risks and threats relevant to the diverse communities of Leeds.
- Robust and effective joint working arrangements and appropriate preparations in place within the Council to meet statutory requirements.
These support our legislative duties and include delivery of the nineteen national civil contingencies capabilities highlighted by the Cabinet Office. We also ensure we work on the key principles of Integrated Emergency Management.
- Anticipate
- Assess
- Prevent
- Prepare
- Respond
- Recover
In 2009/10 our Service Planning provides an increased focus on enhancing the delivery of Council services directly to the community. In particular, this relates to developing and enhancing community resilience – helping communities prepare and build up their resilience to emergencies. This forms just one of sixty deliverables that support the two overall outcomes for the service and Council identified above.
Roger Carter
Principal Emergency Planning Officer
Peace & Emergency Planning Unit
Leeds City Council