Issue - meetings

            The Chairperson welcomed the Emergency Coordination Officer and Claire Carleton Resilience Manager for the Belfast Emergency Preparedness Group. She explained that her role was to ensure that everyone worked in partnership and that she was also  part of the Regional Community Resilience Group which was formed as a result of the Strong report in 2015/16 after flooding in the Northwest of Northern Ireland.  Ms Carleton explained that the video was put together for COP 26 and that it gave an overview of multi-agency groups that worked together to look at how they could introduce community resilience in Northern Ireland.  Since that time there was a methodology developed to look at what communities they should engage with, initially targeting flooding, but over the years it had grown wider with over 17 organisations working together with around 30 community groups throughout Northern Ireland.  This provided a forum to facilitate coordination, communication, consistency, capacity building and partnership working. They focused on community resilience that affected Northern Ireland.  One of the outcomes of this work was the co-development of household and community emergency plans which allowed communities to manage their own local arrangements.  Local groups in Belfast were formed and lead people identified who could be contacted to manage their own arrangements in an emergency. There are around 7 community resilience groups in Belfast, most of which were established around 2012/2013 on the back of severe flooding. Community resilience provided the communities with a voice. 

            In terms of Belfast City Council, these groups have been invaluable in terms of emergency response or flash flooding or severe weather episodes, officers had a direct link to those communities which allowed them to be more prepared and get ready for the severe weather episode. They could access their community container, forewarn neighbours, protect their properties and hopefully protect their homes.  The Emergency Planning coordinator referred the Committee to another document entitled ‘Building Resilience Together’ which gave guidance in relation to emergency preparedness.

            The Chairperson thanked the officers for their presentation and, after discussion, the Committee noted the contents of the video.