Major emergency incidents span a wide range of events, ranging from outbreaks of disease to natural disasters, explosions and other major incidents. Find out what we do in an emergency and other useful links and information via this page

Sources of further information


Our Role

As a local authority it is our role to support the emergency services in the case of a major incident. We are on call 24 hours and will co-ordinate the council's response during a major incident.

As a Category 1 Responder, Dacorum Borough Council has specific duties under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (opens in new window):

  • Co-operation and information-sharing
  • Risk Assessment
  • Emergency Planning
  • Warning and Informing the public
  • Business Continuity Planning
  • Promotion of Business Continuity in the Community

To achieve this, the Council has developed an Emergency Plan in consultation with neighbouring District Councils and Hertfordshire County Council, which would be activated if a major emergency were to occur. We also have a generic Council Business Continuity Plan and a Pandemic Flu Plan.

To view a pdf version of our current plans, please click on the links below:

A version of the Hertfordahire Resilience multi-agency emergency response plan is also attached below:

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What to do in an emergency

Go In, Stay In, Tune In

In the case of most major emergencies, the simple advice to follow is go inside, stay inside, and tune into local radio. By visiting the radio station’s website (via the links below) and clicking on "Listen Live" you will be able to hear real-time radio through your PC. It may also be wise to have battery back-up for your usual radio in case of loss of power.

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Sources of Further Information

Click on the links below for external websites with information and guidance on emergency situations.

Emergency planning websites:

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Health-related websites:

  • Fire Safety (opens in new window)
    Government fire safety site on how to protect your home and family. Also has special sections for kids and teachers.
  • NHS Direct (opens in new window)
    NHS Direct staff can also provide information on a wide range of healthcare topics – from helping you to find out more about diagnosed conditions and treatments to giving details of local health services

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Emergency services websites

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Voluntary Agency websites

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Utility company websites

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Environment and weather websites

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