Rest Centre Plan
Introduction
Major emergencies both natural and man-made can strike anywhere
at any time. When this happens Cheshire’s emergency services will
attend to the immediate effects. They will need the help of the
local authorities and voluntary organisations to look after members
of the public displaced by the emergency.
When an evacuation occurs, the emergency services will shelter
the public using any suitable building as a Reception Centre. They
will expect the local authorities to move these evacuees to a
designated Rest Centre and once there, to take the lead in caring
for them.
Co-ordination
In a major incident many resources are needed, staff being the
most important. Emergency services personnel, local authority and
voluntary agency staff may be needed at the incident scene and at
emergency centres elsewhere. Liaison is needed to ensure that their
activities achieve the common good.
Evacuation
For their own safety, people may need to be moved out of an
affected area (a release of gas may threaten the residents of a
housing estate; a transport accident will result in passengers to
look after).
Survivor Reception Centres
In these cases any suitable building nearby may be used as a
shelter for these people (The Survivor Reception Centre). Police
will co-ordinate any evacuation, if necessary assisted by the Fire
Service. They will also choose a location near the incident as a
rendezvous point. Here they will jointly decide how best to deal
with the immediate effects of the incident.
Having placed those affected in the reception centre (more than
one of these may be required), the emergency services will now need
help from other agencies.
East Cheshire Council will take the lead role in providing care
for those who have had to be evacuated. This plan, “The Cheshire
Local Authorities Rest Centre Plan”, describes how this is to be
achieved. We do not intend to provide extensive services to the
public at the Reception Centres; rather we will move people to a
designated Rest Centre which has better facilities.
Rest Centres
Reception Centres are unlikely to have facilities suitable for
the needs of large numbers of people or for an extended (24hr)
stay. In East Cheshire we have designated certain buildings as Rest
Centres. These range in size from small village halls to large
leisure centres and secondary schools. They may be owned by East
Cheshire Council or by private organisations.
