Domestic Civil Defence - Community Action in a Crisis

Annex : Community Action in a Crisis -
Assessing Needs and Resources

Introduction :

Needs are those physical supplies, tools, vehicles, skilled individuals and other requirements needed to solve particular problems in a crisis. Resources are those which are available in or beyond the community to deal with the crisis. In practice, these rarely match. This is generally because resources are unequally distributed in any case and that many individuals will be reluctant to help because they will lose some resources in the process - at the least, time and effort, at the most, money or something else of value. The key to resolving this problem is to find out where the donors of assitance and resources will benefit from the good of all the community.

During the earliest hours of the Lockerbie disaster, the writer recalls that local authority staff had been prepared to break into the Academy to use it. However, the Headmaster and the janitors turned up of their own accord and the local supermarket manager opened his store as an act of public goodwill. The Salvation Army and the Red Cross were on the scene almost as fast as the local Fire and Police services. Other voluntary organisations - notably Raynet - had to be held back in the nearby town of Dumfries until needed. Volunteers turned out in large numbers at local hospitals, prepared to give blood. The moral is that human selfishness can rapidly evaporate in actual time of need.

Preparation and organisation are very important. As volunteers are worth ten forced into assistance, it is wise for the community to lay some plans and gain consent to use of some resources ahead of time. The local authority's Emergency Planning Officers should be able to advise further on compilation of a register of resources and its organisation as a database.

Human Resources :

People with useful skills in a crisis. These may be local authority staff resident in the community, tradesmen and professionals, members of voluntary organisations and charities, even those with a valuable hobby skill.

• Medical Skills : (Medical care and to staff First Aid Posts)
  
  • Doctors, nurses, ambulancemen, veterinarians, pharmacists.
  • Retired or trainee staff with mewdical knowledge.
  • Members of voluntary First Aid and home-care organisations (e.g Red Cross, St.John Ambulance Brigade, St. Andrew's Ambulance Brigade, National Voluntary Civil Aid Services).
• Welfare Skills : (To care for those in Rest Centres and those needing home assistance)
  
  • Trained Social Services staff, hospital welfare auxiliaries, trained child care staff (may include teachers).
  • Ministers of religion, Salvation Army members, trained WRVS welfare staff. Home help professionals.
  • Untrained but experienced organisers of youth clubs, Scout and Guide groups and Boys' Brigade officials.
• Emergency Feeding Skills : (To assist at Emergency Feeding canteens and advise neighborhood kitchens)
  
  • Restaurateurs, canteen staff and other trained food-preparation staff.
  • Women's Royal Voluntary Service and National Voluntary Civil Aid Services.
  • Volunteers with experience in mass-feeding at events.
• Communications Skills : (To staff communications points and provide a messenger service)
  
  • Switchboard and Call Centre operators and other telephone staff, Royal Mail postal workers, local authority and commercial couriers.
  • Radio Amateurs and CB Radio operators, communications and computer repair workmen.
  • Members of youth clubs, Scout and Guide organisations (best at SMS on mobiles and good messengers).
• Information Skills : (To staff Information Points and provide information at street level)
  
  • Information Centre and Library staff, advertising and business advisory staff, professional radio and television broadcasters.
  • Local authority and government office reception staff.
  • Voluntary agency staff (e.g Red Cross, Women's Royal Voluntary Service and National Voluntary Civil Aid Services).
• Civil Engineering and Building Skills : (To organise emergency works for the community and to advise on emergency domestic repairs)
  
  • Civil and structural engineers, jobbing builders, other building professionals.
  • Carpenters, gas-fitters, electricians, bricklayers, plasterers and painters.
  • Building labourers, craft apprentices and capable DIY volunteers.
• Mechanical Engineering Skills : (To arrange for maintenance of vehicles and powered equipment in Community use)
  
  • Mechanical and electrical engineers.
  • Garagehands and time-served craftsmen.
  • Capable amateur engineers and mechanics (e.g. some farmers, hobby engineers and vintage car enthusiasts).

Physical Resources :

The physical supplies, equipment, tools and vehicles, that may be required to make things happen. Some may be in local authority ownership, others may be harder to obtain, being in commercial or private ownership. Most businessmen and farmers in rural areas know that they have to work together to survive - a fact sometimes not realised by their counterparts in large towns and cities.

• Medical and Hygiene Supplies : (For Rest Centres, First Aid Posts and crisis household needs)
  
  • Pharmacies, hospitals, clinics and surgeries.
  • Veterinary surgeries and suppliers.
  • Commercial works, shops, public houses, local authority homes.
• Food and Canteen Supplies : (For Emergency Feeding Canteens and Rest Centres)
  
  • Bulk purchase storehouses, supermarkets, retail shops.
  • Major local authority and private schools and colleges. Health Service establishments.
  • Farms of all kinds (including fish farms), slaughterhouses, grain and feed mills ('raw materials' needing processing before cooking takes place).
• Clothing and Bedding Supplies : (To stock Rest Centres and replace clothing lost or unavailable in a crisis)
  
  • Local authority and health service stores. WRVS and Red Cross stores.
  • Clothing and bedding shops and warehouses.
  • Donations from the public.
• Office and Information Supplies : (For the Community Office, Information Points and other facilities)
  
  • Local authority offices, schools, libraries and depots.
  • Business premises and shops (particularly newspaper offices and printing firms).
  • Computer suppliers.
• Communications Equipment : (For linking Community facilities to Work Teams and Street Adviser)
  
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Buildings and Land :

An organised community will at least need an office from which to operate and as a place to disseminate information and gather intelligence. In many crises, the community will need a Rest Centre to accommodate those forced from their homes by flood, damage or utility failure. It may also need a depot or workshop for equipment lent or hired in the crisis. Finally, land may be needed on which to erect tents, park vehicles, set up feeding kitchens, latrines or some rubbish processing site.

Community Organisation and Emergency Information :-

[Assessing Needs and Resources] [Holding a Public Meeting] [Neighbourhood Support]
[Rest Centres] [Communal Feeding] [Communal Services] [First Aid Post] [Law and Order]