Presentation by Prof. Ragnar E. Lofstedt, Kings College, United Kingdom. The workshop on “Learning from crises and fostering the continuous improvement of risk governance and management”, jointly organised with the governments of the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, was held in Oslo, Norway on 17-18 September 2014. More information is available at www.oecd.org/gov/risk/high-level-risk-forum-oslo-workshop-2014.htm

1. Office of Emergency Planning Ireland
Ciarán Desmond
Assistant Principal Officer
ciaran.desmond@defence.ie

2. September 11th 2001
A catalyst event for global emergency planning

3. Questions asked in Ireland in 2001
•
Could it happen here?
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Are we prepared?
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Is there a National Disaster Plan?
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Who is in charge of emergency/crisis management ?
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Who is responsible for communicating with the public during an emergency/crisis?

4. Review of Emergency Planning Oversight & Assessment in Ireland
The obligation to exercise oversight in relation
to peacetime emergency planning was placed
with the Minister for Defence, through the
Office of Emergency Planning.
Government decision (Ref. S180/46/01/0002)

5. •
Chaired by the Minister for Defence
•
Provides active political leadership of the emergency planning process
•
Facilitates government oversight of emergency planning in Ireland (All Government Departments are represented and some key Public Authorities)
•
Facilitates contact and coordination between Government Departments/Agencies (Builds trust which is invaluable when they have to work together in an emergency/crisis)
•
Oversees all emergency planning to ensure:
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the best possible use of resources
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compatibility between requirements
•
Meets every 6 - 8 weeks or in a National Coordination formation during an Emergency/Crisis
A Government Task Force (GTF) on Emergency Planning was established

6. GTF Subgroups – Chaired by OEP
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Risk
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Manages and updates the National Risk Assessment for Ireland
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Monitors any changes in the risk environment, and
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Reviews the Roles and Responsibilities and Strategic Emergency Planning Guidance
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CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear)
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Reviews the Protocol for Responding to Malign CBRN Incidents
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Reviews associated Standard Operating Procedures
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Flood Warning and Communications
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Flood Forecasting and Warning Systems
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Broadcasting Protocol
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Social Media
•
National Framework for Emergency Management

7. Government
Minister for Defence
Government Task Force on Emergency Planning (Chaired by Minister for Defence)
Inter-Departmental Subgroups
(Chaired by OEP or the Lead Dept.)
Office of Emergency Planning (OEP) (Coordination & Oversight)
Departmental Press & Information Officers
Lead & Support Departments and certain public authorities
Departmental / Interdepartmental Structures & Expert Committees
Government Information Service
National Strategic Structures for Emergency Planning
National Security Committee
Logistically supported by the Government Secretariat, Department of An Taoiseach (Prime Minister’s Office) and by the Lead Government Department in respect of policy.

8. Emergency Management in Ireland
To be replaced by a National Framework in 2015
2004
2011
The MEM is for the main PRAs, i.e. the Gardaí (Police), Health Service Executive and Local Authorities
2006
2010
Nationally
Regionally and Locally

9. Summary of Key Lead Roles & Responsibilities
Emergency/Incident
Lead Department
Emergency/Incident
Lead Department
Infectious Animal Diseases, Feedstuff Contamination, Food Safety
D/Agriculture, Food & Marine
Explosive Ordnance, National Security (including terrorism), Water Rescue Inland, Public Order/Crowd Events
D/Justice and Equality
Tsunami & Earthquake warnings, Communications Services, ICT, Cyber Attacks, Energy
D/Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Public Health Emergencies, Pandemic Influenza, Biological Incidents
D/Health
Nuclear, Hazardous Materials, Radioactive Contamination, Environmental Pollution, Severe Weather, Flooding Response, Coastal Erosion, Water Supplies, Fire, Landslide Response, Building Collapse/Accidental Explosions
D/Environment, Community and Local Government
Aviation Security/Terrorist Incident, Railway Accident, Major Road/Infrastructure Accident, Marine Search and Rescue, Shipping Disasters, Marine and Coastal Pollution, Marine Emergencies.
D/Transport, Tourism and Sport

10. How do we position policy reform without a crisis to trigger change?
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By use of regular exercises and training with lessons learned used to provide recommendations to Government.
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By following International best practice and taking on-board guidance from the EU, the OECD and others.
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By ensuring that emergency planning and risks are regularly reviewed on a cyclical basis - Locally, Regionally & Nationally.
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By being transparent with our reviews, reports and recommendations.

11. The EU Council Conclusions on a community framework on
disaster prevention within the EU were adopted on 30 Nov 2009
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Emphasised hazard and risk identification, analysis and assessment as major components of EU disaster management.
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Invited Member States to develop national approaches to risk management, and
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To make these available to the EU Commission for the development of an overview of the major risks the EU may face in the future
Examples: The EU &
National Risk Assessment

12. •
Led to a wide level of consultation through the GTF with all Government Departments/Agencies in 2012 and with some EU Member States
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The process adopted was based upon the risk assessment methodology outlined in the Framework for Major Emergency Management and more specifically in the Guide to Risk Assessment in Major Emergency Management
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Government Departments/Agencies engaged in workshops and focus groups, in collaboration with Dublin City University, to analyse/identify National risks.
•
Approved by Government in 2013 and managed on an ongoing basis by a GTF Sub-group on Risk.
See: www.emergencyplanning.ie and www.mem.ie
Impact on the National Risk Assessment for Ireland

13. •
Assessment of the likelihoods (probability) of the hazard occurring.
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Examination of the potential impacts (severity of consequences to life and health, property and infrastructure, and the environment) of the hazards identified .
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Impacts were assessed on the basis of reasonable worst case scenario.
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The impact and likelihood criteria were specifically outlined based upon the agreed classification system in the “Guide to Risk Assessment in Major Emergency Management” (See Sections 4.2 and 4.3 of the NRAI).
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On impacts, the assessment criteria were scaled up in order to reflect emergencies requiring national (rather than regional) coordination.
National Risk Assessment for Ireland
Methodology

14. National Risk Matrix – All Hazards
A: Flooding & X: Cyber Incident are High Impact and High Likelihood, which require priority.

15. Ireland – Dept. of Taoiseach Draft NRA
The Prime Minister’s Office
initiated a wider National Risk
Assessment consultation process in April 2014 .

16. How international cooperation supports our national processes
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By providing incentives to review processes, such as:
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Impact of EU Civil Protection Legislation
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EU National Risk Overviews
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Assessment of Risk Management Capabilities
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Possible Peer Reviews (such as OECD)
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By providing access to International ‘Best Practice’ – OECD Toolkit, EU Guidelines and International Standards

17. Systematising the learning processes beyond ad-hoc post event reviews in Ireland
The generic Irish approach applied after each Emergency/Crisis and during post Exercise Reviews – ANNEX D:

18. Guidelines for Coordinating a National Level Emergency Response
Key steps:
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Annex D – Provides a Generic Template applied to the reviews of all National Exercises and Emergencies/Crises Reports
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Relevant Departments/Agencies provide their own responses to the Lead Government Department (LGD)
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A Final Report is prepared by the LGD and presented to the Government Task Force (GTF) on Emergency Planning
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Where appropriate, recommendations are provided to Government and implementation is overseen by the GTF and the OEP

19. Guidelines for Coordinating a National Level Emergency Response
1.
The demands placed upon Departments/Agencies and their impacts
2.
Completion of generic emergency management functions
3.
Mobilisation of personnel and resources
4.
Task delegation and division of labour
5.
Information management
6.
Decision making
7.
Coordination
8.
Working Relationships
9.
Communications with the public
10.
Use of the National Emergency Coordination Centre
10 generic areas are addressed in these reviews as follows:
Reviews are not confined to solely these 10 areas

20. Recent examples: “Exercise Railroad” was carried out in March 2012 involving 200+ personnel on the ground in Carlow and a National level response in the NECC. “Exercise Storm” was carried out at a National Level in November 2013 exercising scenarios involving a severe weather storm similar to those actually experienced in January/February 2014.
Training and Exercises are vital tools
As part of the Framework for Major Emergency Management, regular Exercises take place at Local, Regional and National levels.

21. Recent Reviews of Severe Weather Events
Published Reports on Severe Weather Reviews occur after each event:

Towards Integrated Emergency Management – A Report on the Review of the Response to the Exceptional Severe Weather Events of 2009- 2010. Link: http://www.environ.ie/en/Community/NationalDirectorateforFireandEmergencyManagement/EmergencyManagement/PublicationsDocuments/FileDownLoad,27525,en.pdf

Report on Severe Weather from 13 December to 6 January 2014. Link: http://www.environ.ie/en/Community/NationalDirectorateforFireandEmergencyManagement/EmergencyManagement/PublicationsDocuments/FileDownLoad,36547,en.pdf

Guide to Works and Development Consents for Repairing Infrastructure Damaged in Storms or other Emergency Events – February 2014. Link: http://www.environ.ie/en/Community/NationalDirectorateforFireandEmergencyManagement/EmergencyManagement/PublicationsDocuments/FileDownLoad,37446,en.pdf

22. Recent Reviews – Some Key Points Identified
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Issues with public warning during fast moving/developing situations (Are there Gaps in arrangements for getting ‘situation reports’ ?)
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Sector-specific and General Public Communications should be further developed to improve emergency messaging and resilience
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Particular attention needs to be given to the ability to identify and engage with the ‘vulnerable’
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Alignment of the colour coded weather alerts with the preparedness and response of the Principle Response Agencies (PRAs) and with sectoral decision making
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A methodology should be in place to measure the economic impact of emergencies to facilitate recovery financing and prevention investment prioritisation
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Post Response/Recovery Phase coordination arrangements and responsibilities need to be developed and formalised

23. Impacts of Severe Weather Events on National Emergency Planning
Recent severe weather reviews have identified the need for a National Framework for Emergency Management to codify the links between our National Emergency Planning and Response processes with our Local and Regional Mechanisms.

24. A New National Framework - Way Forward
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Draws on material from existing national documents and best international practice
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The concept of the Lead Government Department (LGD) will remain a principle
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The GTF tasked a Working Group to draft a ‘National Framework for Emergency Management’
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The Working Group will be made up of six principal LGDs, chaired by the OEP
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An Garda Síochána (Police) and the Health Services Executive will be represented
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The OEP and the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government will provide the rapporteurs to draft the National Framework.
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A first draft will be provided to the GTF by the end of 2014 for approval in 2015.

25. National Framework Subgroup - Tasks:
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Codify and embed in a National Framework concepts such as:
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Resilience
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Lead Government Department (LGD) Principle – Roles and Responsibilities
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Risk Management, including assessment and mitigation
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Horizon scanning
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Address coordination, control and communications issues at a National level and linkages with the Regional and Local Major Emergency Management mechanisms
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Improve the guidance and direction to LGDs as to how they should plan
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Foster resilience within LGDs, to enable them to deal with ‘their’ emergencies
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Enhance the Lead Roles and Responsibilities with the LGD Principle
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Consider the role of the OEP going forward

26. Questions ?
Contact Email: oep@defence.ie