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Sunday, 22 November 2009

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How the government is preparing for emergencies

The government's aim is to reduce the risk from emergencies so that people can go about their business freely and with confidence. This means that the government is working hard to make sure that the UK is as prepared as it can be in the event of an emergency.

What is ‘resilience’?

The government has a comprehensive programme of work to ensure an effective response to a range of disruptive emergencies that might affect the UK.

The concept of 'resilience' has long been used to describe individuals with the ability to withstand or recover easily and quickly from illness or hardship. It is a term that can easily be applied to organisations or even societies.

The government uses the term resilience when talking about national security and emergency preparedness. Resilience in this sense means ensuring that the country as a whole can handle and recover quickly from any emergency, such as a major flood, terrorist attack or industrial accident. The government has a comprehensive programme of work to ensure the UK is as resilient as possible to a range of disruptive emergencies that might affect the nation.

Central government

Central government is working to reduce the risk from emergencies, to ensure the country is as prepared as it can be, and to ensure the response to any emergency is effective, regardless of cause (eg terrorism, natural disaster, industrial accident).

Devolved administrations

Devolved administrations work closely with central government to ensure an effective, coordinated approach. Use the link below for more information.

English regional resilience

English regions have an important role in preparing for and responding to emergencies. The link below describes the work of the regional resilience teams within the government offices of the regions.

Local resilience

The link below describes the work done by local responders under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (eg emergency services, local authorities), and the role of local resilience forums as the principal means for cooperation between responders at a local level.