Oldham Council works with the emergency services and other organisations to prepare for emergencies, respond to incidents and help communities recover.
Businesses and organisations also have an important role in preparing for emergencies and planning how they would continue operating during disruption.
How the council responds to emergencies
The emergency services usually lead the initial response to a major incident.
Oldham Council supports this response and helps coordinate recovery afterwards, working with other organisations and voluntary groups.
The support the council provides depends on the type and scale of the emergency.
This may include:
- Arranging road closures and diversions.
- Repairing roads and buildings.
- Providing temporary accommodation, food and clothing.
- Supporting people affected by the emergency, including welfare and counselling services.
- Providing public information and advice.
- Arranging transport and equipment.
- Carrying out building inspections.
- Managing pollution and environmental health issues.
- Helping with drainage, plumbing and flooding.
- Coordinating cleaning and recovery work.
- Providing emergency lighting and other essential supplies.
Other specialist support may also be needed, depending on the incident.
How the council prepares for emergencies
The council works with the emergency services and other organisations to plan for different types of emergencies.
This is known as Integrated Emergency Management.
It involves five main stages:
Assessing risks
Identifying potential emergencies, such as flooding, fires, explosions, chemical spills and terrorism.
Preventing emergencies
Taking steps to reduce known risks and making sure organisations follow relevant safety requirements.
Preparing for emergencies
Working with other organisations to develop emergency plans, provide training and practise responding to incidents.
Responding to emergencies
Supporting the emergency services and other organisations during an incident.
Helping communities recover
Coordinating work to help people, businesses and communities return to normal after an emergency.
The overall aim is to protect lives, prevent situations from getting worse, reduce suffering, protect property and the environment, and help communities recover.
Emergency planning responsibilities
The council's emergency planning responsibilities are set out in legislation, including the Civil Contingencies Act.
You can find more information about emergency planning and the risks that organisations prepare for:
- Emergency preparation, response and recovery - GOV.UK
- What is resilience? - Greater Manchester Combined Authority
- National Risk Register - GOV.UK
Business continuity
Emergencies can happen without warning and may seriously disrupt the day-to-day running of a business or organisation.
For example, how would your business cope with a major power cut or damage to your premises?
Having a business continuity plan can help you prepare for disruption, protect essential activities and get your business running again as quickly as possible.
What is business continuity planning?
Business continuity planning involves identifying the parts of your business that are essential and deciding how you would keep them running during an emergency.
It can help you:
- Identify the activities your business depends on.
- Prepare for situations that could interrupt those activities.
- Reduce the impact of disruption.
- Restore normal operations as quickly as possible.
- Protect your relationships with customers, suppliers and other organisations.
What should your business consider?
When preparing a business continuity plan, think about how an emergency could affect:
- Premises: Your workplace and other buildings.
- Employees: The people your business relies on.
- Suppliers and contractors: The organisations that provide essential goods and services.
- Equipment: Specialist tools, machinery and other equipment.
- Technology and communications: The systems you need to operate and stay in contact.
- Data and information: The information your business needs to function.
Business continuity advice and support
You can find more information about business continuity planning from: