| Civil Contingencies Secretariat launches the ‘Local Response Gateway’
Government departments who need to reach the civil protection community on certain specific issues will now issue material via the Local Response Gateway. In a notice published on 29th June, The Civil Contingencies Secretariat says that the new mechanism will not supersede departments’ established channels of communication with bodies they sponsor. “However, where departments issue advice or address an issue which has relevance to a range of agencies, within or outside of their sponsorship, they will communicate in a standardised format, via the Local Response Gateway.” The notice states: “The mechanism for communicating is a standard ‘letter to stakeholders’. The standard letter will be produced by the relevant lead department, but will pass through a simple gateway to ensure consistency of message and presentation. In order to ensure that the gateway communications are easily identifiable to stakeholders, each letter issued will include the gateway ‘branding’ Local Response Gateway: preparing together. The Local Response and Civil Contingencies Act Team at CCS will administer the gateway process. We will ensure a consistent format is used when communicating with practitioners and have put in place a reliable dissemination mechanism via the Regional Resilience Teams. “In addition, on the day of issue to stakeholders, a version will be placed on the UK Resilience website. “This will build up a stock of referable material that is accessible, co-ordinated and consistent.” The Local Response Gateway mechanism is one element of a range of measures that the Civil Contingencies Secretariat is putting in place to improve communications with civil protection practitioners.
•Date: 6th July 2006• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Emergency planning |
