What is an Emergency
Types of EmergenciesEmergencies or incidents may, for example fall within one of the following categories:
- Severe Weather
- Threats to public health
- Major structural collapse
- Major fire or explosion
- Incidents outside the UK that affect people within the local community
- Terrorism or malicious attacks
- Major public disorder
The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 defines an emergency as:
- An event or situation which threatens serious damage to human welfare in a place in the UK
- An event or situation that threatens serious damage to the environment of a place in the UK
- War or Terrorism which threatens serious damage to the security of the UK.
Additionally, to constitute an emergency, an event or situation must pose a considerable test for an organisation’s ability to perform it’s functions.
You can view a short guide to the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 or the full document by following the links below.