West Mercia Local Resilience Forum
It was created under the Civic Contingencies Act 2004, which places a duty on public bodies like councils, police, fire, NHS etc to work together to respond to respond to major emergencies and support our comunities to be better prepared for, and able to cope with, emergencies whether they're natural disasters, technological failures, or societal disruptions.
The main responsibilities of the LRF are listed below:
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Plan for and respond to major incidents
This includes a wide range of emergencies, from natural disasters like floods and severe weather to man-made incidents such as terrorism and cyber-attacks.
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Build community resilience
We help communities to be better prepared for emergencies through awareness campaigns, training exercises, and by supporting local resilience groups.
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Mitigate risks
By identifying and assessing potential threats, we can put in place measures to reduce their impact and improve overall community safety.
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Ensure effective co-ordination
The LRF helps join up communication and collaboration between key organisations, including police, fire and rescue services, councils, the NHS, and other essential organisations.
The LRF is legally required to undertake risk assessments, maintain them in a Community Risk Register and to publish this register. Risks in this context are those that could result in a major emergency. The Community Risk Register is the first step in the emergency planning process. It ensures plans that are developed are proportionate to the risk.
You can read more about the West Mercia LRF and view the West Mercia Community Risk Register using the links below.