Emergency Planning

We work with the emergency services, Surrey County Council and other agencies to ensure that a co-ordinated and professional response can be provided in the event of a major emergency.

What is a major emergency?

Any event (happening with or without warning) which may result in any of the following:

  • causing or threatening death or injury
  • damage to property or the environment
  • disruption to the community which, because of the scale of its effects, cannot be dealt with as part of normal day-to-day activities

Our role

During emergency response, we undertake the following roles and responsibilities:

  • support the emergency services
  • assist people in distress
  • co-ordinate the activities of its services and other agencies
  • release the information to the public that has first been agreed by the police
  • maintain its services to residents, as reasonably practicable
  • lead the recovery effort, providing support and aftercare to residents until a state of normality or ‘new’ normality is returned

We have a responsibility to plan for the needs of vulnerable people during times of emergency.

We use elements of data secured in its various operational systems to identify potentially vulnerable people. So that, in times of emergency, that joined up data can be made accessible to appropriate staff responding to a threat and to our partners.

Emergency Assistance centres

We may be called upon by the emergency services to assist in the response by providing an Emergency Assistance centre.

An Emergency Assistance centre is a predetermined building provided by a local authority for temporary accommodation of evacuees or homeless residents, with overnight facilities.

Food and drink will be available at the rest centre, as well as people from Mole Valley District Council and Surrey County Council Social Care who will be available to provide support to everyone that has been affected.

There are several locations in the district that have been identified as possible rest centres in the event of an emergency:

  • Dorking Halls
  • Dorking Sports Centre
  • Fairfield Centre (Leatherhead)
  • Leatherhead Leisure Centre

We can provide assistance in a number of ways, depending on the nature of the incidents:

  • a rest centre for evacuees and homeless survivors with overnight facilities. These are usually created with the assistance of voluntary services
  • alternative accommodation
  • a Survivor Reception Centre, which is a secure area in which survivors not requiring acute hospital treatment can be taken for short-term shelter ad first aid
  • a Friends and Relatives Reception Centre to help reunite family and friends with survivors
  • advice on dangerous structures
  • information to the general public
  • an Emergency Control Centre to co-ordinate our response

Flooding

For flooding advice and information, visit our Flooding page.

Severe weather warnings

The Met Office issues severe weather warnings when there is a ‘strong likelihood of severe weather that may cause considerable inconvenience to a large number of people or present a danger to life’.

Keeping up to date

You should follow the instruction of the authorities if you are advised to evacuate your home.

Social media

Twitter accounts to follow:

Websites

Radio

Surrey Prepared

Surrey Prepared aims to help households and communities prepare for incidents so they are safer and better informed, as well as being stronger communities all year round.
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