The Fire and Rescue Services (Emergencies) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011

Citation and commencement

1.  This Order may be cited as the Fire and Rescue Services (Emergencies) Order (Northern Ireland) 2011 and shall come into operation on 1 January 2012.

Interpretation

2.—(1) In this Order—

“chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incident” means an event or situation involving the release or potential release of chemical, biological or radio-active contaminants;

“emergency” means an event or situation that causes or is likely to cause—

(a)

a person to die, be seriously injured or become seriously ill, or

(b)

serious harm to the environment (including the life and health of plants and animals and the fabric of buildings);

“serious transport incident” means an event or situation involving a train, tram, ship at berth or aircraft that causes or is likely to cause a person to die, be seriously injured or become seriously ill; and

“serious flooding” means flooding that causes or is likely to cause a person to die, be seriously injured or become seriously ill and which results from —

(a)

natural causes; or

(b)

an escape of water.

(2) Any reference in this Order to protecting a person from serious harm shall be construed as a reference to protecting individuals from death, serious injury or serious illness.

Chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incidents

3.  For the purpose of enabling action to be taken in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incident, the Board shall–

(a) make provision for removing chemical, biological or radio-active contaminants from a person and capturing any water used to remove such contaminants; and

(b) make arrangements for ensuring that reasonable steps are taken to prevent or limit serious harm to the environment resulting from action taken for the purpose of paragraph (a).

Search and rescue

4.—(1) The Board shall make provision for the purpose of rescuing people who may be trapped and protecting them from serious harm in the event of—

(a) a landslide;

(b) the collapse of a building, tunnel or other structure; or

(c) in the event of a serious transport incident.

(2) In this Article—

(a) “structure” does not include a tunnel or mine;

(b) “tunnel” means a man-made passage; and

(c) “mine” means a mine within the meaning of section 156 of the Mines Act (Northern Ireland) 1969(1).

(3) The function conferred by paragraph (1) shall not apply where it is reasonable for the Board to conclude that another person with search and rescue functions or specialist search and rescue capabilities can make satisfactory provision for the emergency in connection with which the function is conferred.

Serious flooding

5.  The Board shall make provision for the purpose of—

(a) rescuing people trapped, or likely to become trapped, by water, and

(b) protecting them from serious harm,

in the event of serious flooding.

Serious transport incident

6.  The Board shall make provision for the purpose of rescuing people and protecting them from serious harm in the event of a serious transport incident.

Nature of provision for emergencies

7.  For the purpose of carrying out its functions under this Order, the Board shall in particular—

(a) secure the provision of such equipment as may be necessary to meet efficiently all reasonable requirements of this Order;

(b) secure the provision of such personnel, services and training as may be necessary efficiently to meet all reasonable requirements of this Order;

(c) make arrangements in relation to preparedness activities;

(d) develop, maintain, review and revise an emergency response plan as necessary;

(e) make arrangements for dealing with calls for help and summoning personnel;

(f) make arrangements for obtaining information required or likely to be required for those purposes; and

(g) make arrangements for ensuring that reasonable steps are taken to prevent or limit damage to property resulting from action taken for those purposes.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety on 12^th October 2011.

Noel McCann

A senior officer of the

Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety