Responding to a terrorist incident
The regional response
In the event of a terrorist incident, operational control and management of the local area will involve close co-ordination between the emergency services, the local authority, and the local Government Office for the Region.
As terrorism is a crime, the police will take overall command of a terrorist incident at a local or regional level, informing and supporting the Government’s national response led by the Home Office.
The local response to an incident is vital in order to protect public safety and minimise the overall impact on the local community. In order to ensure an effective multi-agency response to a major incident, a regional framework has been established to improve the co-ordination of planning, preparation and response to emergencies.
Regional teams and forums
In England, regional resilience teams have been established in the Government Offices for the Regions (new window).
The aim is to bring together key players and promote communication between the regions and central government, and between each region and its local responders.
Regional resilience teams support regional resilience forums, which are made up of central government agencies, the armed forces, the emergency services and local authorities.
These forums provide a strategic direction to civil protection planning at a regional level, and bring together representatives of many agencies.
Find out more about regional resilience teams for your area. (new window)
The Civil Contingencies Act 2004
The Civil Contingencies Act provides a single framework for civil protection in the UK to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
The act is separated into two parts: local arrangements for civil protection (part one) and emergency powers (part two). It aims to ensure that local responders are fully prepared and equipped to respond to a major incident, including terrorist incidents, and fully understand their own and others’ roles and responsibilities.
More detailed information about the Civil Contingencies Act can be found on the Cabinet Office’s website, www.ukresilience.info.
