Minutes:
(1) Mr Harwood reported that a number of Members of the Committee had visited Kent Police HQ on 10 March 2011 in order to see the multi-agency Strategic Response Unit in operation during Exercise Watermark (a national wide-area flood response exercise).
(2) Mr Harwood said that the exercise scenario had been much more demanding than expected, involving the need for the total evacuation of some 30,000 people from the town of Sheerness and surrounding areas. The Multi-Agency Strategic Co-ordinating Group, chaired by Chief Supt Alastair Hope had been praised by the UK and French Government observers for the effectiveness of its response. The close and professional working relationship between the three participating local authorities (KCC, Medway Council and Swale BC) was specifically raised as a positive outcome at the multi-agency exercise debrief.
(3) The exercise had tested the ability of the partner agencies to evacuate and shelter great numbers of people, thus requiring optimum use of available resources. As a learning point, work was now well underway to pre-identify “evacuation and shelter hubs” where large numbers of people could be accommodated at a single destination (such as the Oakwood complex in Maidstone or the University of Kent at Canterbury) and the transportation logistics to support them. The Kent County Council’s Rest Centre Guidelines were currently being updated to take account of this work.
(4) Mr Harwood said that Exercise Watermark had provided many learning points in terms of the need to develop improved logistics for evacuation, shelter and identification of vulnerable people. Improved arrangements were also needed to improve local community resilience. To this end, an event was planned for a mid Kent conference venue. It would take place on Saturday, 30 July and would involve the KALC and invited residents associations (representing unparished areas within an identified flood risk zone). Attendees would be provided with a CD containing a template of a community resilience plan for completion by their organisation, together with other supporting information. Mr Harwood agreed to inform the Committee Members of the details once the arrangements for this event were confirmed.
(5) Mr Harwood explained that a “league table” had been produced which identified those communities most vulnerable to flooding. Local Members were being asked to assist in providing local knowledge (including local organisations which might be in a position to support). Particular emphasis for this Member local knowledge was placed on urban and unparished areas such as Sheerness.
(6) Members of the Committee commented that they had been impressed by the calmness and competence they had observed during their visit to Police HQ. Mr Harwood agreed to circulate the debrief report from Exercise Watermark, which would be available in mid June.
(7) The Chairman asked to what extent the broadcast media had been involved in the Exercise. Mr Harwood replied that there had been a media cell which had provided both real and simulated media involvement. A follow-up exercise “Exercise Saturn” (also involving the broadcast media) would be taking place later that week, simulating a flooding emergency impacting upon Dungeness “A” station. This would test the technical assets of KCC and its contractors, including the logistics of mobilising and moving significant quantities of plant and other assets at short notice.
(8) RESOLVED that the report on the effectiveness of the response to the major flooding event simulated by Exercise Watermark be noted, together with the lessons to be learned.