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| West Mercia Local Resilience Forum | |
|---|---|
| Name | West Mercia Local Resilience Forum |
| Formation | 2004 |
| Type | Multi-agency partnership |
| Headquarters | Worcestershire |
| Region served | Herefordshire; Shropshire; Worcestershire; Telford and Wrekin |
| Leader title | Chair |
| Parent organisation | Civil Contingencies Secretariat |
West Mercia Local Resilience Forum
The West Mercia Local Resilience Forum coordinates multi-agency preparedness and response across Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire and Telford and Wrekin. It brings together police, fire and rescue, ambulance services, local authorities, National Health Service bodies and utility companies to plan for hazards such as floods, terrorism, industrial accidents and severe weather. The forum aligns with national frameworks and works with neighbouring resilience partnerships to maintain situational awareness and interoperable capabilities.
The forum operates within the United Kingdom resilience architecture alongside the Cabinet Office and the Civil Contingencies Secretariat, integrating statutory responders such as West Mercia Police, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust and the West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust. Geographically it spans the ceremonial counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire and the unitary authority of Telford and Wrekin, interfacing with regional bodies including the Local Government Association and national agencies such as the Environment Agency, Public Health England and the Met Office. The forum’s role parallels other Local Resilience Forums across England established after the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.
Membership comprises Category 1 and Category 2 responders defined under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and allied organisations including utility companies like Severn Trent and National Grid, plus voluntary sector partners such as the British Red Cross and Samaritans. Governance is executed through a strategic board chaired by senior representatives from member organisations, with subgroups for capability areas mirroring structures used by NHS England and regional policing collaborations like the National Police Chiefs' Council. Decision-making aligns with statutory duties set out by the Home Office and reporting mechanisms to the Department of Health and Social Care for health-related emergencies.
The forum’s core functions include risk assessment, contingency planning, multi-agency coordination, information sharing and public communication during incidents. It develops Community Risk Registers consistent with guidance from the Cabinet Office and risk methodologies used by the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency. Operational liaison occurs with tactical coordination centres such as Silver Command and strategic centres analogous to processes used in incidents like the Manchester Arena bombing. The forum also facilitates mutual aid arrangements consistent with precedents set by the Nottinghamshire Coalfield flooding and national exercises coordinated by the National Resilience Capabilities Programme.
Emergency planning covers natural hazards including fluvial and surface water flooding recorded for the River Severn catchment, industrial incidents in areas with petrochemical sites and transport accidents on routes like the M6 motorway and A49 road. Preparedness activities incorporate Business Continuity Planning practices used across NHS trusts such as Wye Valley NHS Trust and local authorities like Herefordshire Council and Shropshire Council. The forum maintains plans for mass casualty incidents influenced by doctrine from NHS England and interoperability guidance from the College of Policing and National Fire Chiefs Council.
The forum has coordinated responses to significant events including large-scale flooding episodes impacting the River Severn communities, winter storms comparable to Storm Desmond effects, and cross-border public health incidents requiring collaboration with Public Health Wales. During such incidents it has worked alongside emergency services including Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, regional ambulance services, and Military Aid to the Civil Authorities units when required, following models used in responses to incidents like the Cumbria floods and national counter-terrorism responses coordinated through the National Counter Terrorism Policing Headquarters.
Training and multi-agency exercises are run in conjunction with partners such as the British Red Cross, NHS England, and regional fire and police training centres, emulating scenarios used in national exercises like Exercise Cygnus. The forum engages communities through public awareness campaigns paralleling work by the Environment Agency on flood warnings, resilience initiatives promoted by Age UK, and community resilience projects supported by Locality. Volunteer and charity involvement is coordinated with organisations such as the Samaritans and Royal Voluntary Service to enhance surge capacity and psychosocial support during prolonged incidents.
The forum operates under the statutory framework of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and associated regulations, with duties supplemented by guidance from the Cabinet Office and statutory obligations referenced by the Localism Act 2011. Accountability mechanisms include scrutiny by member organisation governance boards such as those of Herefordshire Council and Shropshire Council, and oversight through inspection regimes analogous to those undertaken by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and audit arrangements compatible with standards from the National Audit Office. Continuous improvement follows lessons identified in reports by bodies like the Public Accounts Committee and inquiries such as those that examined responses to major UK emergencies.
Category:Civil contingency planning in England Category:Emergency management organizations in the United Kingdom