Kent Community Risk Register

The Kent Community Risk Register is put together by us in partnership with the Kent Resilience Forum, in accordance with the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and associated regulations and guidance.

Download the Kent Community Risk Register

Its purpose is to assure the people of Kent and Medway that an assessment of potential risks has taken place. It also informs the approach to joined-up emergency planning both locally and at the regional and national level.

The inclusion of a hazard or threat in the Kent Community Risk Register does not mean that the Kent Resilience Forum believes the risk will materialise or that if it were to do so, it would be of the scale described. The risk scenarios are reasonable worst case assumptions upon which risk assessments have been based.

Top 5 risks

Currently the top five risks to Kent and Medway are:

Pandemic flu

A pandemic flu outbreak is considered to be one of the greatest threats to the UK. Central government is working very hard to try to help local authorities and emergency services prepare for the outbreak which is expected at any time. Medway Council sits on the NHS Medway Pandemic Group and the Kent Contingency Pandemic Group. We have also developed our own pandemic flu plan and continue to train our managers on the likely impact that such an outbreak will have on the council and community.

Fire or explosion at a key site

Some premises may only be considered key sites when they are open to the public, in use or occupied e.g. schools or shopping centres. Other premises, such as hospitals and prisons, may be considered key sites at all times. Likely effects of a fire or explosion at these sites include the evacuation of large numbers of people, casualties, deaths, environmental impact and long-term effects due to the displacement of residents.

Within Medway there are several key sites, which, if they are greatly affected, would cause a large number of problems for the whole community. As a result there is regular communication, multi-agency planning, training and exercises with these sites.

Fuel shortage

A fuel shortage that occurs over a period of more than a week could disrupt the supply and production of fuel within Medway. The disruption of the fuel supply could be a result of many things including an industrial dispute, protests, an overseas refusal to supply fuel or an industrial accident.

A fuel shortage is considered a national threat and is being dealt with on a national scale. A number of exercises are planned to test regional resilience. The utility companies are members of the Kent Resilience Forum and are in regular discussion with Medway Council's Emergency Planning Team and the emergency services.

Heat wave

A heat wave refers to a prolonged period of hot weather. Daytime maximum temperatures above 31ºC and overnight minimum temperatures above 16ºC covering most of Medway for at least five consecutive days is likely to result in significant admissions to hospital and some deaths.

Those most at risk are babies, young children, the elderly, and people with long-term conditions. Please contact your doctor, pharmacist or NHS direct if you are worried about your health during a heatwave. Find more information on how to cope in hot weather on the NHS website.

Drought

A drought is a prolonged period without rainfall, leading to the depletion of stored water reserves. Over recent years the UK has had earlier and hotter summers, which have brought droughts and hosepipe bans with them.

Medway Council works closely with the water companies and is in regular discussion with them to provide a high level of co-operation to prepare a response to the effects of a drought.

Risk assessment group

The risk assessment group of the Kent Resilience Forum is made up of representatives from the following organisations:

Emergency planning