A shared responsibility
Emergencies and the Government
The UK Government Resilience Framework describes resilience as a “whole of society” endeavour.
That means:
- individuals
- communities
- organisations
- government
all have a role to play in preparing for and responding to emergencies.
How decisions are made
In any emergency, decisions are taken as close to the community as possible.
Local knowledge and quick action are key to an effective response.
If needed, coordination can move to regional or national level, but the aim is always to:
- keep decisions local where possible
- share information clearly
- keep all partners connected
In simple terms: resilience is everyone’s business
Scotland:
who leads?
In Scotland, emergencies are coordinated through the Scottish Government Resilience Room – SGORR
This is where the Scottish Government:
- gathers information about what’s happening
- coordinates the national response
- supports local responders
- makes strategic decisions
Many key areas of resilience are devolved to Scotland, including:
- health services
- emergency services
- local government
This means most emergencies in Scotland are managed within Scotland.
UK Government:
what’s their role?
For wider emergencies that involve UK wide issues or reserved matters like national security, the UK Government may activate COBRA: Cabinet Office Briefing Room A
COBRA:
- brings together Ministers and senior officials UK and devolved governments
- coordinates the response at UK level
- uses expert advice to guide decisions
Understanding how decisions are made helps communities to:
- know where information is coming from
- understand who is responsible and for what
- feel more confident in how emergencies are managed
- consider actions they can take to be more prepared