Major emergencies
During a major emergency, special arrangements are put in place by the emergency services, the NHS and the relevant local authority.
Should a major emergency occur within Ipswich, the Borough Council will initially provide support for the emergency services and also assistance directly to the community where this is appropriate.
The Council will provide the lead local authority role when any emergency occurs within its boundary and liaise with other agencies as appropriate to ensure that suitable levels of support are provided to the community generally.
Emergency response arrangements are normally divided into two phases, an initial response phase and recovery phase.
The lead organisation during the initial response phase will usually be Suffolk Police although some emergencies involving fire, pollution or public health dangers might require Suffolk Fire Service, Environment Agency, NHS or Local Authority leadership.
As the emphasis switches from response to recovery Ipswich Borough Council as the relevant local authority would normally be expected to take on the lead role and would co-ordinate all matters relating to the return to normality.
The emergency arrangements used by the Council closely align themselves with the integrated emergency management principles outlined in government guidance relating to disaster management.