The community emergency group

Who can form a group

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Resilience Forum works mostly with town and parish councils, but its answer to "do I have to be a parish council" is no. The government's Be Ready site says it does not matter if the group is a coffee morning, a youth group or a climate group, because strong local relationships are what help when the worst happens. Dorset Prepared adds that everyone has something to offer, and the more people included in developing the plan, the stronger it will be.

The emergency coordinators

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight template asks for a core group of emergency coordinators. They work as a team to help and advise the community on the steps to take and to share key information, and they would usually be contacted in most emergencies.

For each coordinator the template records contact details and the times they are available. It asks for two communication options between coordinators, and two meeting locations in case a power cut or loss of signal means they have to meet in person. Each alert type, such as a flood alert or a weather warning, is assigned to a coordinator who signs up for it. Any coordinator can decide to activate the plan; the template asks you to write down who decides for each trigger.

Emergency volunteers

Volunteers are the extra hands. The template lists three uses: knocking on doors if the power or phone signal goes, holding keys to buildings the group wants to use, and supporting the coordinators. It says you should only contact emergency volunteers if you plan to use them in the emergency.

Skills and local groups

The template asks the group to list people with skills the community may need: first aid, plumbers, electricians, 4x4 drivers, tractor owners, carers, caterers, counsellors and childcare. It also asks for local organisations, from national charities to toddler groups and clubs, because working with them helps the group pass on messages through their networks.

Working with the responders

Once a plan is shared, the forum explains, it is available to the emergency planning team, so the group may be asked to work alongside responders by sharing information or giving access to buildings or resources. It is also available to the district or borough emergency control centre, which can act as a point of contact and give advice. Contacts named in the plan may be briefed about an incident and asked to relay key information to the community.

Checks, insurance and data

DBS checks are not a legal requirement for community emergency response. The forum suggests that a group which wants them could use people who already hold one, such as teachers, nurses or social workers, and that a basic check can be requested as an individual on GOV.UK for £18.

On insurance, the forum points to the Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Act 2015, which it says protects someone acting for the benefit of society who has taken reasonable care, and asks the court to take context and good intentions into account. A group that is part of a parish council may already be covered by its policy; other groups can buy cover. Be Ready adds that the local authority can say whether insurance is needed.

On data, the forum notes that UK GDPR Article 6(1)(d) allows personal data to be shared in an emergency where necessary to protect someone's vital interests, and still advises against building lists of vulnerable people. For training and support, see getting help to start.