Emergency plan

10.1 Evacuation

As a result of the impact of a Major Incident, the emergency services may advise the public to evacuate their homes/workplaces/schools or to stay indoors and take shelter. The emergency services will, normally, request evacuation and define the area to be evacuated. The police or Surrey Fire and Rescue Services (SFRS) will normally request the evacuation of an area in consultation with other responding agencies. Reigate & Banstead Borough Council may be called upon to assist the police by providing transport, shelter and accommodation. Should it be required Reigate & Banstead Borough Council, the police and Surrey County Council will agree on the best location for an Emergency Assistance Centre (Police or Fire for an Evacuation point and Reigate & Banstead Borough Council for a Rest Centre). This will depend on the circumstances. Despite the request for evacuation, there may not be the need to establish a Rest Centre. An assessment by a Housing Officer may be appropriate. Members of the public may be able to self-evacuate or for a small group it may be more appropriate to arrange Bed and Breakfast/Hotel accommodation.

10.2 Support in-situ

It may be determined that an evacuation is not necessary or possible and instead the response will focus on providing support to people where they are. This is a common occurrence for severe weather, such as snow or heatwave (although some evacuations of residents may still take place).

Surrey County Council Emergency Management & Resilience Team may determine that a Welfare teleconference is needed, involving all relevant agencies (including the Districts and Boroughs) to discuss the most appropriate way of providing support to residents, including those who are vulnerable.

10.3 Emergency Assistance Centres (EACs)

Providing shelter is one of the main responsibilities of the Borough Council during a Major Incident. Under the Local Government Act 2000, Local Authorities have a responsibility to ensure the economic, social and environmental well-being of the community that they serve. The 1989 Local
Government Housing Act and the 1996 Housing Act place statutory duties on Local Authorities to provide temporary accommodation for residents rendered homeless because of an emergency. Under Surrey Local Resilience Forum (SLRF) Emergency Assistance Guidance, there are four types of assistance centres. Below is a summary of those centres - full details can be found in the Reigate & Banstead Borough Council EAC Plan or the SLRF Emergency Assistance Centre Plan.

10.4 Rest Centre (Borough Lead)

The most commonly used EAC is the Rest Centre. It is a building designated or taken over by the Local Authority for the temporary accommodation of evacuees and homeless survivors, with the potential for overnight facilities.

10.5 Survivor Reception Centre (Police Lead)

Set up in the immediate aftermath of an emergency where survivors not requiring acute hospital treatment can be taken for short-term shelter, first aid, interviews, and documentation.

10.6 Friends and Family Reception Centre (Police Lead)

A secure area set aside in the immediate aftermath of a disaster for use and interviewing of family and friends arriving at the scene (or location associated with an incident, such as at an airport or port).

10.7 Community Assistance Centre (CommAC) (Borough Lead) / Humanitarian Assistance Centre (HAC) (County Council Lead)

Both are one-stop-shops for survivors, families, friends, and all those impacted by a disaster, through which they can access support, care, and advice. The distinction between the two is the scale at which they operate. CommACs are set up for very localised incidents. Areas of Surrey badly affected by Flooding in 2013/2014 opened CommACs to provide support to the local community. HACs are much larger and may be necessary when there is a wider area (or areas) impacted by a catastrophic event. A HAC was opened in London in 2005 after the July 7 terrorist attacks.

10.8 Homelessness

In an Incident, Reigate & Banstead Borough Council has a duty to respond to emergency homelessness.

1. Removed due to sensitive contents.
2. For large scale homelessness (e.g. police cordon/evacuation) a rest centre will be set up while either better accommodation can be found, or residents can return to their homes.

Private housing often has insurance which will allow residents to claim alternative hotel accommodation. In addition, landlords and housing associations also have a responsibility to their tenants.

Should a housing association property require evacuation, the procedure is:

• Scale 1: Business as usual with a small number of people affected
  • Housing associations would take responsibility of their own residents
• Scale 2: Large number of people affected
  • This would usually have led to a Rest Centre being set up depending on the ability for evacuees to self-evacuate
  • In hours the Reigate & Banstead Borough Council housing team will make contact with the housing association
  • There will be a discussion around who is responsible for evacuees (it may be a mixture)
  • Housing associations may need to co-locate with Reigate & Banstead Borough Council staff at the Rest centre to carry out homelessness interviews
  • Coordination of housing stock will be done to ensure all evacuees are rehoused