Roles and responsibilities
Category 1 Responders
Category 1 (Cat1) Responders are those organisations at the core of the response to most emergencies (e.g. Emergency Services, Local Authorities, NHS bodies, Port Health Authority and the Environment Agency). Category 1 Responders are subject to the full set of civil protection duties.
- Leicestershire Constabulary
The police priority is the saving and protection of life, preservation of the scene and evidence, and co-ordinate the activities of multi-agency partners.
- Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service
The primary role in an emergency is the rescue of people trapped by fire, wreckage or debris. They will deal with released chemicals or other contaminants in order to make the incident site safe or recommend exclusion zones.
- East Midlands Ambulance Service
To sustain life through emergency treatment at the scene, and have the responsibility for coordinating the on-site NHS response and determine the hospital(s) to which injured people should be taken, which may depend on the types of injuries received.
- Leicester City NHS and Leicestershire & Rutland County NHS
Working closely with the Health Protection Agency (HPA) the Primary Care Trust is responsible for ensuring a local health response to any public health emergency.
- University Hospitals of Leicester
In the event of an emergency resulting in large numbers of casualties, the ambulance service will designate receiving hospital(s) from one of these organisations. Hospitals with major accident and emergency units and specialist treatment centres (e.g. burns units) are usually selected.
- Health Protection Agency (HPA)
The HPA identifies and responds to health hazards and emergencies caused by infectious disease, hazardous chemicals, poisons or radiation. They give advice to the public on how to stay healthy and avoid health hazards.
- Environment Agency
As an environmental regulator, with a wide range of roles and responsibilities, it responds to many different types of incident affecting the natural environment, human health or property.
- Local Authorities: Blaby District Council, Charnwood Borough Council, Harborough District Council, Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council, Melton Borough Council, Oadby & Wigston Borough Council, Rutland County Council, Leicester City Council, Leicestershire County Council.
Local authorities are one of the main organisations who represent the community. They have a wide range of functions that are likely to be called upon in support of the emergency services during the emergency response and recovery.
Category 2 Responders
Category 2 Responders are the “co-operating bodies” that are less likely to be involved in the core planning work but may be heavily involved in incidents.
- Health & Safety Executive (HSE)
HSE’s mission is to protect people’s health and safety by ensuring that risks in the workplace are properly controlled. In addition, they can provide relevant specialist or technical advice to support planning for, response to and recovery from emergencies, especially, but not exclusively, those events that involve major hazard industrial sites. - Voluntary Sector
The Third Sector can provide an extensive and diverse range of operational and support skills and services to statutory responders. - Transport
Highways Agency, Network Rail, Bus Companies - Utilities
Gas, Electricity, Water
Other supporting organisations
- Military
The Armed Forces’ national structure, organisation, skills, equipment and training can be of benefit to the civil authorities in managing the response to, and recovery from, emergencies.
