Emergency Planning Unit

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The Emergency Planning Unit assists in preparing, testing and exercising a variety of emergency plans for Government Departments and Statutory Bodies. This includes the running of both table top and live exercises throughout the year.  The Unit also provides advice on Business Continuity Plans, both inside Isle of Man Government and to the private sector.

The Emergency Planning Officer chairs the local Resilience Group where emergency services, government departments and critical national infrastructure representatives meet regularly to work together to identify any concerns and ensure a rapid response to any emergency. This Group is extremely important and by working together we are able to respond in a coordinated manner to ensure the safety of the residents and infrastructure of the Island.

The Isle of Man Civil Defence Corps also falls under the remit of the Emergency Planning Officer. This group of dedicated volunteers train every Wednesday evening throughout the year and are on call 24/7 365 days a year.  The Civil Defence Corps is established to enhance and support the Island’s emergency services and to provide resilience in times of civil emergencies. The full establishment of the Island’s Civil Defence is 50 members, who are divided into 5 teams, each with a team leader with a Commandant, Norman McBride, overseeing the teams.

Volunteers are aged between 18 and 65 years old and provide support in a variety of emergency situations working alongside other frontline agencies such as the Constabulary, Fire and Rescue Service, Ambulance and Coastguard. In 2019 the Corps were awarded the Poker Stars Award for Supporting the Community in the Isle of Man Newspapers Awards for Excellence, an award that we are exceptionally proud of being presented with.

Government Mass Notification System

This system has been in place for nearly 12 months and has been a great success.  Through this system the Emergency Planning Unit will issue messages on behalf of different government departments regarding critical information during emergency situations which are aimed at saving lives and property.  

The Meteorological Office at Ronaldsway Airport will also use this system to send out important weather warnings and information on behalf of the Floodhub. The system will send you a message from the emergency services advising you on an action to take in the event of a developing situation, during an incident and following an incident.

For example, we may need you to evacuate from an area for a reason, we will send you a message and some instructions. We can also ask you a question i.e. are you safe? Press 1 if you are, Press 2 if you need assistance etc.  We can then follow this up and get you the help you need.  

The system will also send messages in a variety of ways, via a text, an email and to as many different routes as you register. The system will continue to send you messages until you acknowledge one and we know you are safe. It can even be used for those who do not have smart phones and emails.

Sign up for Isle of Man Government Notification system.

• We will not update personal details, this remains the responsibility of those registering to receive messages
• When you opt out your information will be deleted automatically from the service
• You can Stop receiving messages at any time by selecting Stop and restart when you choose
• For those who do not have access to the internet or a smart phone, registration can be done on their behalf and with the individual’s permission by a family member or friend to receive automated messages via a landline number.
• We will send one test message per year and will only send critical messages to ensure your safety

Home Affairs Privacy Notice

The Emergency Planning Officer Jane Kelly is based at the Department of Home Affairs and can be contacted at: