|
27 March 2009
The Glasgow City Centre Evacuation Plan launched this week
Country: Scotland
The Glasgow City Centre Evacuation Plan provides a comprehensive plan for the evacuation of all, or part of, the city centre in the event of a civil emergency, where it is considered that evacuation is necessary. This could include anything from a building collapse, natural disaster, severe weather, utilities failure, major fire or terrorist attack.
It has been produced after extensive work by Glasgow City Council, Strathclyde Police, Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS, the Scottish Ambulance Service, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, British Transport Police and a number of other partners, such as SPT, transport operators and voluntary agencies.
This is the first plan of its kind in Scotland, but several English cities have already produced their own versions.
It ensures that robust arrangements are in place for a truly joined up response to a major emergency. It gives a structure that ensures everyone can work together to minimise injury and loss of life; along with protecting the economic and social well-being of our businesses, residents and visitors.
The key elements of the plan include a zone map which shows the city centre divided into 22 areas, which can be evacuated individually or in combination.
The area covered by the zone map is bounded by the Kingston Bridge, the M8 motorway, High Street, and the River Clyde. Should the plan ever be implemented it's likely it would only involve one or two of the 22 zones. If evacuation were needed outwith any of these areas, it would be carried out in exactly the same way.
Another key feature is the introduction of the Glasgow Priority Alert Scheme, which will allow the police to communicate instantly with people who are registered to receive text messages or emails.
Emergency planning experts have identified appropriate assembly points for people leaving the city, prepared transport arrangements to move people on to rest centres, and made special arrangements for the evacuation of vulnerable people.
The public would be warned of the need for evacuation or where one is imminent through a variety of channels including messages broadcast by the media and communications networks in the city centre.
Councillor George Ryan, Executive Member for Business, said: "Effective planning is essential if we are to minimise the disruption to our city centre in the event of an emergency.
"We hope this plan will never be used, however, if we do ever have to evacuate the city centre, the work that's gone in to developing this plan will allow us to do so as quickly, efficiently and safely as possible.
"It's important to remember that businesses and other organisations also have a part to play as they are responsible for the health and safety of their own staff as well as any visitors or customers.
"This responsibility includes the need to evacuate people from buildings safely and swiftly. Therefore, we would urge organisations to ensure they have appropriate plans in place.
"People should also familiarise themselves with their zone identification number as this will be used when warning and informing them of an evacuation."
Chief Superintendent Anne McGuire, Divisional Commander Glasgow Central and West Division, Strathclyde Police, said: "We continue to work with all the agencies concerned to prepare and plan for major events to make sure that we can evacuate the City Centre as quickly and safely as possible should the need arise. "Communicating these plans to the public is essential and the Glasgow Priority Alert Scheme is one part of this. It is important that people living and working in Glasgow City Centre familiarise themselves with this plan."
Copies of the map and guidance and a link to the Glasgow Priority Alert scheme available here: www.glasgow.gov.uk/emplan
Click here for larger image.
(2987kb)
27 March 2009
The Glasgow City Centre Evacuation Plan launched this week
Country: Scotland
The Glasgow City Centre Evacuation Plan provides a comprehensive plan for the evacuation of all, or part of, the city centre in the event of a civil emergency, where it is considered that evacuation is necessary. This could include anything from a building collapse, natural disaster, severe weather, utilities failure, major fire or terrorist attack.
It has been produced after extensive work by Glasgow City Council, Strathclyde Police, Greater Glasgow and Clyde NHS, the Scottish Ambulance Service, Strathclyde Fire and Rescue, British Transport Police and a number of other partners, such as SPT, transport operators and voluntary agencies.
This is the first plan of its kind in Scotland, but several English cities have already produced their own versions.
It ensures that robust arrangements are in place for a truly joined up response to a major emergency. It gives a structure that ensures everyone can work together to minimise injury and loss of life; along with protecting the economic and social well-being of our businesses, residents and visitors.
The key elements of the plan include a zone map which shows the city centre divided into 22 areas, which can be evacuated individually or in combination.
The area covered by the zone map is bounded by the Kingston Bridge, the M8 motorway, High Street, and the River Clyde. Should the plan ever be implemented it's likely it would only involve one or two of the 22 zones. If evacuation were needed outwith any of these areas, it would be carried out in exactly the same way.
Another key feature is the introduction of the Glasgow Priority Alert Scheme, which will allow the police to communicate instantly with people who are registered to receive text messages or emails.
Emergency planning experts have identified appropriate assembly points for people leaving the city, prepared transport arrangements to move people on to rest centres, and made special arrangements for the evacuation of vulnerable people.
The public would be warned of the need for evacuation or where one is imminent through a variety of channels including messages broadcast by the media and communications networks in the city centre.
Councillor George Ryan, Executive Member for Business, said: "Effective planning is essential if we are to minimise the disruption to our city centre in the event of an emergency.
"We hope this plan will never be used, however, if we do ever have to evacuate the city centre, the work that's gone in to developing this plan will allow us to do so as quickly, efficiently and safely as possible.
"It's important to remember that businesses and other organisations also have a part to play as they are responsible for the health and safety of their own staff as well as any visitors or customers.
"This responsibility includes the need to evacuate people from buildings safely and swiftly. Therefore, we would urge organisations to ensure they have appropriate plans in place.
"People should also familiarise themselves with their zone identification number as this will be used when warning and informing them of an evacuation."
Chief Superintendent Anne McGuire, Divisional Commander Glasgow Central and West Division, Strathclyde Police, said: "We continue to work with all the agencies concerned to prepare and plan for major events to make sure that we can evacuate the City Centre as quickly and safely as possible should the need arise. "Communicating these plans to the public is essential and the Glasgow Priority Alert Scheme is one part of this. It is important that people living and working in Glasgow City Centre familiarise themselves with this plan."
Copies of the map and guidance and a link to the Glasgow Priority Alert scheme available here: www.glasgow.gov.uk/emplan
Click here for larger image.
(2987kb)
|
|