As we head into the depths of mid-winter, there’s a greater chance we’ll be hit with severe weather at some point – including storms.
So how does Wrexham Council prepare for – and respond to – severe weather events and other emergencies?
Our ‘emergency response protocol’ explains what we do, and how you can help by reporting issues using the correct phone numbers and providing clear information.
We’ll publicise these phone numbers in the event of an emergency, but if you’d like to know more and make a note of them now, read on…
Wrexham Council – emergency response protocol
What is an emergency?
An emergency is an event or situation which threatens serious damage to human welfare or the environment, or serious damage to the security of the UK – such as war or terrorism (Civil Contingency Act 2004).
The council is not an emergency service, but is defined as a ‘category one responder’ under the Act, and works with other responders to manage the situation.
Who can declare an emergency?
In most situations, the emergency services (e.g. the police) will declare an emergency.
But the council – through its Emergency Management Response Team (EMRT) – can also do this if needed.
How do we respond in an emergency?
- Senior managers liaise with partners.
- Frontline teams are deployed on the ground.
- Information is shared with the public.
- Emergency phone-call handling arrangements kick-in.
What number can you call?
To report an issue related to the declared emergency, please call:
Office hours (8.30am-5pm) 01978 298989
Out of hours 01978 292055
Housing repairs for council tenants (24hrs) 01978 298993
Please don’t call individual officers.
If there’s an immediate threat to life, always call 999.
Who will answer your call?
During office hours, calls will be answered by our contact centre.
After 5pm and at weekends, calls will be answered by Delta (our out-of-hours call-handling provider) or our contact centre, which can be stood-up to provide extra cover.
The info you provide will be relayed to frontline teams to help them respond.
Please don’t call individual officers
Please don’t call individual officers to report issues.
Using the correct numbers provided will help free-up supervisors so they can concentrate on co-ordinating efforts on the ground – deploying our workforce, machinery and contractors where they’re needed.
Bad weather forecasts
While a bad weather forecast might not be declared an emergency, Wrexham Council will still respond.
How will we manage this?
- Forecast received. Internal emergency management team meets to ensure resources are in place for response and recovery.
- Internal response team ‘stood up.’ Dedicated telephone handlers keep supervisors informed and log issues. On-call supervisor freed-up to manage deployment of our workforce and resources.
- Regular info and communications shared on priority work areas, as well as updated and real-time weather-warnings.
How to report power cuts
Any issues with power-outages should be reported by calling 105.
Powercut 105 is a free service that will put you through to your local network operator for help and support.
3 things you can do to help in an emergency
- Call the right number.
- Provide clear info.
- Be patient.
Thank you.
