Sandwell Council's Resilience Team works with a wide range of agencies and organisations to prepare for and respond to events as and when they occur.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or requests for information.
Email emergency_planning@sandwell.gov.uk
For general advice regarding emergencies and emergency preparedness, please visit the Emergency Planning page.
Who we work with
Our partners include the police, the fire and rescue service, the ambulance service, surrounding councils, utility companies, voluntary organisations and many others. The group that links everyone together is the West Midlands Local Resilience Forum.
West Midlands Conurbation Local Resilience Forum (WMC LRF) – Who We Are
The West Midlands Conurbation Local Resilience Forum is a statutory multi agency partnership organisation. It was set up to ensure Local Authorities, Emergency Services, NHS bodies and the Environment Agency (known as Category 1 Responders) in partnership with other organisations such as gas and water companies (known as Category 2 Responders) fulfil their duties under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. This Act is important because it establishes a consistent level of civil protection planning and preparation activity between these organisations across the UK.
The West Midlands Conurbation is made up of seven Local Authorities (Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton) with a total population of over 2.4 million people. It borders three counties: Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.
The West Midlands Conurbation is associated with a high density urban nature, with key rail routes, a number of major roads and a complex motorway network, including stretches described as being some of the busiest motorway sections in the UK.
West Midlands Conurbation Local Resilience Forum – What We Do
The aim of the West Midlands Conurbation (WMC) LRF is:
To ensure that there is an appropriate level of preparedness to enable an effective multi-agency response to emergency incidents, which have a significant impact on the communities of the WMC.
All services and organisations work together to ensure that the best possible preparations and plans are in place for emergencies. These are regularly tested and updated so that agencies can respond immediately and effectively to any threat.
We work with the following councils to provide Emergency Planning and Response across the West Midlands Region:
- Birmingham City Council
- Coventry City Council
- Dudley Council
- Solihull Council
- Walsall Council
- Wolverhampton City Council
- Staffordshire County Council
- Telford and Wrekin Borough Council
The Local Resilience Forum (LRF) group has produced the Community Risks Booklet for the West Midlands, which is taken from the National Risk Register and developed on a local level.
It lists possible risks, their probability of occurring and potential impact. These risks are specific to our region and allow for planning to take place.
Voluntary organisations
Major emergencies can put a strain on resources of the local authority and the emergency services. During such times additional support from voluntary organisations can be invaluable.
If you are interested in becoming part of the voluntary sector's response to emergencies then there are many local voluntary groups that you can contact for further information:
- British Red Cross
- RAYNET (Radio Amateurs Emergency Network)
- Salvation Army
- St John Ambulance
- Royal Voluntary Service
- The Samaritans
- Cruse Bereavement Care