City Centre Emergencies
Recent experiences elsewhere in the United Kingdom have highlighted the potential requirement to evacuate our City Centre. Evacuation of the whole or part of the city centre may become necessary as a result of acts of terrorism, major fires or building collapses.
If we have to implement a full or partial evacuation of Liverpool City Centre, we need to be able to provide the general public and the business community with clear and concise information to act upon. A major disater can occur in many guises and may affect the city centre at any time.
It is essential that we all plan ahead to minimise the risks to the people and businesses that make up the heart of the city. In the event of a major incident it may be necessary to evacuate all, or part of the city centre. Liverpool City Council Emergency Planning Unit, in partnership with the emergency services has prepared a zoning map![(PDF [1.4Mb] opens in new window)](/images/PDF.gif)
, which when used in conjunction with the "Liverpool Priority Alert" scheme, will enable details of any incident and any information necessary to be given to the people in the city centre about that incident to be passed efficiently and effectively.
We cannot predict what may happen in the future and we must never be complacent. That is why we always plan for the worst-case scenario. We also want you to do your part. You can do this by
- Displaying the zoning map chart in a prominent position.
- Ensuring you and your staff are aware of the zones and your position within them.
- Using the zoning map as part of your own emergency contingency plans.
How will I know that an evacuation is required?
Messages will be broadcast on the "Liverpool Priority Alert" scheme to those who have joined the scheme. Requests to evacuate may be broadcast using other public address systems in the city centre along with those located in shopping centres, bus and railway stations. Police Officers will co-ordinate, along with other emergency responders, the evacuation of the required zones, and should be assisted by your building management and security staff.
What should I do if an evacuation of my zone is required?
Implement your appropriate building evacuation plan immedietely. Inform others who do not appear to be responding to the evacuation request. Use security staff or nominated company representatives to escort everyone away from danger. Follow Police advice.
How can I prepare?
You should prepare an evacuation plan for your premises and include considerations of:
How you will ensure that all your staff are aware of your plan.
Identify staff with specific responsibility for building evacuation.
Pre-identify appropriate fire assembly points, a safe distance from your building.
Pre-identify bomb assembly points in adjacent zones to yours and possibly an assembly point outside of the city centre.
Establish how to alert your staff and visitors to the need to evacuate and how to inform them of the chosen assembly point.
How you will ensure that all of your staff can reach the assembly point.
Create specific procedures to assist staff and visitors with physical or visual difficulties.
Establish how you will account for all of your staff at the assembly point.
Decide how you will communicate with your staff whilst they are out of your premises.
Regularly test your evacuation plan.
Priority Alert Scheme
Merseyside Police in conjunction with Liverpool City Council have initiated a new and vastly improved priority alert scheme for the city centre. This scheme is provided by a company called "Vocal Communications". The new scheme will be used by the Police to send priority alert messages for the city centre to all people who have registered with the new scheme.
Messages on the new scheme can be sent via, SMS text messaging to mobile phones, e-mail or by pagers.
Messages issued by the Police will inform you of:
Details of the incident.
Location and which zone it is in.
Zones to be evacuated.
Updated information on the situation.
Information (if necessary) on the recovery phase.
Details of when it is safe to return to zones.
Details of any security arrangements that may be in place.
The primary use of this Priority Alert Scheme is to warn and inform the residents and businesses in the city centre of any alert or incident in the area. It will assist the Police to manage the incident and effect a speedy self evacuation of the affected zones. The scheme will also be used to provide information as the situation progresses, help speed up the recovery phase and the reurn to normality.
The scheme enables the Police to send messages to:
All subscribers on the scheme.
Individual or multiple zones
Individual companies (on receipt of specific intelligence).
Business types such as hotels, retailers, pubs, clubs etc. (on receipt of specific intelligence).
The Priority Alert Scheme is designed to allow recipient businesses to decide who are the most appropriate staff to receive messages and initiate their building evacuation plan. Building managers, bomb or fire evacuation wardens, security staff and identified key senior nominated officers should be placed on the Priority Alert Scheme.
Information on joining the Priority Alert Sceme can be found at www.liverpoolalert.co.uk or by contacting Vocal Communications on 0870 727 0350.
Additional copies of the zoning map can be obtained from Liverpool City Council, Emergency Planning Unit, Regeneration Portfolio, Municipal Buildings, Dale Street, Liverpool L2 2DH.
Telephone Number: 0151 225 3000
Fax: 0151 225 4997
E-mail emergency.planning@liverpool.gov.uk