Emergency planning

Emergencies can happen anywhere at any time. Small-scale incidents occur frequently and are dealt with effectively by the emergency services.

More rarely 'major incidents' can occur which need a response beyond the day-to-day resources of the emergency services. This is when special arrangements are put in place and local authorities and other organisations help to support the emergency services.

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004, places responsibilities on the council to make plans, train to respond to emergencies and to ensure the council can continue to operate its services in an emergency.

Our aim is to be prepared to respond to any major emergency affecting the borough, to provide support and care to local people, to get things back to normal as soon as possible and to assist with long-term recovery of the community. 

We work closely with Gloucestershire County Council emergency management service, other district councils in Gloucestershire, emergency services, other statutory agencies, voluntary organisations and private industry to fulfill our responsibilities and ensure that there is an efficient and co-ordinated response to a major emergency.

Our emergency response plans

Emergency response plans are made so that if there is a major emergency in the borough, the people of Cheltenham can get the necessary protection and support.  Our plans detail how local services work together to respond to any type of emergency.  These are regularly updated and thoroughly revised at regular intervals.

You can find out more about emergency planning in Gloucestershire on the Local Resilience Forum website.

The information is updated following lessons learned from real life incidents, training exercises and any changes in council service provision. The council also has specific plans for flooding and the establishment of emergency rest centres.

Planning for yourself

Take a look at the 'are you ready' booklet. This was produced by the Gloucestershire Local Resilience Forum to provide clear practical advice to help you prepare for and respond to an emergency.