Special Interest

Recent exercises co-ordinated by the Emergency Planning Office include:

• a table top exercise in conjunction with the Water Authority exploring the consequences of a dam inundation on the Island
• a live exercise at Ronaldsway Airport to test the multi-agency response to an aircraft accident
• the Emergency Planning Officers (EPOs) have also arranged and participated in a number of exercises testing business continuity plans for a number of Government Departments, Statutory Boards and other agencies
• the emergency rest centre plan for the south of the Island was exercised and a similar exercise for the north will take place shortly
• almost 100 Isle of Man Government personnel have now completed a one day operational record keeping course to train thenm in recording decisions taken in a crisis
• a further 30 senior managers will be trained in structuring crisis meetings in order to ensure that all options are considered and documented.
• more than 100 Isle of Man-based delegates attended a three-day conference in October 2006 covering a wide range of topics including pandemic flu, business continuity, legal implications of disaster, and tactical decision making under stress. Various sessions heard first-hand accounts from people involved with incidents in the UK, including the 7/7 London bombings, the Buncefield fire and the Marchioness disaster.

New equipment

The Division has converted a former RAF exhibition/display unit for use in an emergency as a co-ordination vehicle or as a mobile Police Station and this has been used in support of promotional activities by a number of Government bodies.

Recent incidents

Civil Defence Corps members have been involved in a number recent call outs, working alongside Police, Fire, Coastguards and Search Dogs to locate a man who had become exhausted whilst walking in the hills above Sulby, looking after Christmas party goers stranded by heavy overnight snow, then to assist by providing catering for the fire service on a bitterly cold night whilst they were dealing with a fire at Andreas followed by the helping to resolve some of the difficulties caused by another heavy snow fall which persisted for several days. Several days later the volunteers were called out again to look after Port St Mary residents evacuated from their homes as a precaution following a landslide in the village.

Training

Civil Defence Volunteers have recently undertaken training with the Ambulance service in order to be able to assist them decontaminating casualties who may have been affected by a chemical incident.