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Training

Background

The Government aims to ensure all organisations are fully prepared for all types of emergencies. Training staff who are involved in emergency planning and response is fundamental to an organisation's ability to handle any type of emergency. The sections on emergency planning, business continuity and warning and informing the public provide detail on some of the aspects of planning for which staff should received training. The Emergency Response and Recovery sections outline the emergency response roles for which training will be needed. This section outlines the aims of training in this context, describes different types of training, and points out the emphasis placed on training within the Civil Contingencies Act.

Training is about raising the awareness of key staff about what the emergencies are that they may face and giving them confidence in the procedures an organisation uses and their ability to carry them out successfully. It is also about developing competencies and skill-sets so that staff can fulfil key roles.

Organisations should consider two broad types of training:

Why train?

It is important that all those within an organisation who may be involved in planning for and responding to an emergency should be appropriately prepared. This requires a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities and how they fit into the wider picture.

Without training, an organisation and its staff will quickly become overwhelmed by an emergency, unable to handle its impacts and recover from them.

Who should train?

Any staff who could be involved in emergency planning or response should receive appropriate training. But training should also extend beyond those employed by the organisation and include contractors and the staff of voluntary organisations who might be used in support of emergency planning or response.

Training for emergency preparedness

Any organisation will need appropriately trained people who are capable of conducting risk assessment, business continuity management and emergency planning. These three processes underpin an organisation's preparedness for emergencies, and their ability to respond and recover effectively.

The sections on risk, business continuity and emergency planning provide more detail on these processes.

More generally, these key people (such as Emergency Planning Officers in Local Authorities) will need to provide leadership and a focus for emergency preparedness to ensure the ongoing processes of risk assessment, BCM and planning are taken seriously at all levels of an organisation. As the central authors of an organisation's emergency plans, they will also be looked to for direction if an emergency occurs and plans must be carried out.

Training for emergency response

Training should be provided for all staff that will be involved in implementing an emergency plan or business continuity plan, and anyone else who may have a role in emergency response and recovery. All these people will need to feel confident and competent in any role they may take.

A rolling training programme will be needed to account for staff turn-over, and also to ensure all staff are regularly refreshed and practiced in emergency response. Training should include:

Exercises are both a type of training, and a distinct type of emergency preparedness. Exercises have three main purposes: to validate plans; to develop staff competencies and give them practice in carrying out their roles in emergency plans (training); and to test well-established procedures. It is important that people taking part in exercises should be trained beforehand. Participants should have an awareness of their roles and be reasonably comfortable with them, before they are subject to the stresses of an exercise.

The exercises section provides more detail.

The Emergency Planning College

The Emergency Planning College (EPC) is the leading provider of training for emergency preparedness, attracting delegates with responsibility for preventing, planning for, responding to or recovering from a major incident.

It is the only permanent national forum for representatives of local and Central Government, the emergency services, the private sector and volunteer groups to network and share good practice.

The Emergency Planning College is situated at the heart of Government, within the Civil Contingencies Secretariat (CCS) of the Cabinet Office.

The college runs courses on risk assessment, business continuity management and emergency planning, and on emergency management (response) and a range of specialist courses which cover specific aspects of emergency management (eg. warning and informing, care of people and severe weather).

Training under the Civil Contingencies Act

The Civil Contingencies Act Regulations require Category 1 responders to include provision for the carrying out of exercises and for the training of staff in emergency plans (see the emergency planning and exercises sections). The same or similar requirements for exercising and training apply too to business continuity plans (see the business continuity section) and arrangements to warn, inform and advise the public (see the section on warning and informing the public).

This means that relevant planning documents must contain a statement about the nature of the training and exercising to be provided and its frequency

Key Documents

You should refer to:

Key Links

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