Protecting yourself
What is an emergency?
An event or situation that threatens serious damage to:
• Human welfare
• The environment
• Security
• The economy
In order to constitute an emergency, an event or situation must additionally require the implementation of special arrangements by one or more members of the SRF.
What is a major incident?
A major incident is any emergency that requires the implementation of special arrangements by one or more of the emergency services and will generally include the involvement, either directly or indirectly, of large numbers of people.
For example:
• the rescue and transportation of a large number of casualties
• the large-scale combined resources of the police, fire and ambulance service
• the mobilisation and organisation of the emergency services and support services; for example, local authority, to cater for the threat of death, serious injury or homelessness to a large number of people;
• The handling of a large number of enquiries likely to be generated both from the public and news media usually made to the police.
• Acts of terrorism including suspected involvement of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear devices are subject to specific multi-agency response supported by HM Government.