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Preparing for emergencies - the role of the regional tier

The main role of the regions in preparing for emergencies is to improve co-ordination and communication between central government and local responders (emergency services, local authorities etc) and other organisations. Their role is also to ensure that regions are ready to respond to events that would affect most or all of the region (or which could overwhelm any locality).

Regional Resilience Teams

Regional Resilience Teams (RRTs) operate in each of the government offices in the nine English regions. These teams, led by a senior official, with support from a small team drawing heavily on external civil protection experience, facilitate much of the regional activity. They take the lead in managing relationships with local responders, communicating between regional partners, and between the regions and central government departments.

The teams also provide secretariat support for the Regional Resilience Forums, which are the principle means of emergency services and other responders working together at a regional level on issues relating to emergency preparedness. The teams would provide support for Regional Civil Contingencies Committees, which may be called during an emergency to take the lead in the regional response. Finally, the teams also work with the devolved administrations (Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) to ensure strong cross-border arrangements are in place.

You can find your nearest Regional Resilience Team on the UK Resilience website.

The Regional Resilience Forum

The main way that emergency services and other responders work together at a regional level on issues relating to emergency preparedness is the Regional Resilience Forum. These forums bring together the organisations with an interest in regional civil protection issues.

Although they are not statutory bodies and hence do not have powers to direct their members, the Regional Resilience Forums play the lead role in ensuring that regional emergency preparedness work is carried out in a co-ordinated and effective way.

Emergency planning at the regional level in England

Planning at the regional level is different in many ways from planning by local responders at the local level. The objectives of regional planning work are improving co-ordination:

• across the region and between regions
• between central government and the region
• between the region and local responders

The regions carry out a full programme of exercises (simulated emergencies) to test their ability to respond to the full range of emergencies (including natural disasters, terrorism and industrial accident). They do this together with central government, the devolved administrations and local responders as part of the government's co-ordinated exercise programme.