To comply with the regulations stipulated under the Civil Contingencies Act (2004), a group known as the Local Resilience Forum (LRF) is established in order to coordinate multi agency cooperation.
The purpose of the LRF is to bring together all organisations within an area (based on Avon and Somerset constabulary boundaries) that have statuary duties placed upon them by the CCA 2004, along with other agencies who would be involved in the response to an emergency.
The overall function of the LRF is to ensure that there is an effective level of preparedness in place which would generate an immediate and successful response to an emergency.
The responders who are usually the first to the scene of an emergency are the emergency services, (police, fire and ambulance). However the Council also works closely with other agencies in the preparation, distribution, exercising and assessment of emergency plans to ensure that all plans compliment each other and work well together.
As an emergency usually requires a multi-agency response, therefore a multi agency approach to planning is essential to ensure that a coordinated response is achieved.
Apart from working closely with the Police, Fire and Ambulance services the Council also works with a number of other agencies and organisations in the preparation, and exercising of emergency plans. These include:
- Governement of the South West.
- Other Local Authorities.
- The Environment Agency.
- The Health Protection Agency.
- The Highways Agency.
- Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
- The NHS and PCT's.
- Utilties Providers.
- Businesses.
- British Red Cross.
- WRVS.
- RAYNET.