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THREAD - Long thread on civil defence and resilience. Bit of a departure from my usual material but hopefully interesting. #civildefence #UKresilience
The current COVID crisis has highlighted a number of issues around resilience and emergency preparedness in the UK. Some of these were well known prior to the Pandemic, others have been more surprising. This is an area I’ve been interested in for years.
Following looks at what happens elsewhere, what used to happen here and how we might address *some* of the problems.
The UK puts far less resources into civil defence and civil contingencies than many of its neighbours. The Scandinavian countries are the often seen as the leaders in this area. Recent history combined with smallish population numbers and relatively deep pockets drive this.
Slight oversimplification on my part but see https://rusi.org/commentary/scandinavia%E2%80%99s-homeland-defence-model-other-countries for more on this.
The UK relies principally on the 3 main Emergency Services and falls back on the Armed Forces when they run out of capacity via a process called MACA. This happens increasingly.
Large-scale UK civil defence organisations were wound up in 1968. These were the legacy of SWW plans. More on these shortly. In other countries, other bodies set up in the 30s-40s have continued down to the present.
The Danish Emergency Management Agency sits within the Defence Ministry. It has oversight on firefighting and civil contingencies. Unlike many other EU countries Demark still has national service. Service in the Agency is an option.
Official website is here https://brs.dk/da/
Beredskabsstyrelsen has about 2000 personnel, not insignificant given DK’s population of only 5.8 million.
Beredskabsstyrelsen has about 2000 personnel, not insignificant given DK’s population of only 5.8 million.
Also, DK has the Hjemmeværnet (Home Guard) which is part of the Army. There is considerable overlap but this seems designed to enhance resilience. Whilst mainly geared for local defence, the Hjemmeværnet also has logistical and infrastructure support functions.
In Sweden, the Civil Contingencies Agency, is part of the Ministry of Justice. Like its DK counterpart, the Agency is responsible for civil defence and national emergency preparedness.
It got significant press coverage in 2018 when it issued national guidelines to all citizens for the first time since 1991. ‘If Crisis or War Comes’
Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, Myndigheten för samhällsskydd och beredskap, MSB. Official website is here https://www.msb.se/en/about-msb/ (English).
Like Denmark, Sweden has a Home Guard whose primary function is local defence but who are also trained and equipped to contribute to wider resilience and emergency mitigation.
During the early years of the Cold War, the UK had a large civil defence capability which had evolved from the systems put in place prior to and during the SWW. Britain spent considerable money on equipping and training several CD organisations beginning with the creation of ...
...the Air Raid Precautions Service in 1937. ARP – 1.5 million members in 1939, peaked at almost 2 million in 1940-41. Mix of part and full time and included large numbers of women.
ARP Gas Excercise in 1940. IWM image HU88535.
Whilst the best-known element probably remains the ARP Wardens the force also contained messengers, ambulance drivers, gas decontamination parties and heavy rescue services as well as maintaining its own command and control centres.
There was close integration with both local government and voluntary sector bodies such as the St. John Ambulance and the Salvation Army.
The Emergency Services were also strongly reinforced with part-time and full-time (temporary) reserves. War Reserve Constables – 17,000 were recruited. National Fire Service, 370,000 members.
Police at Bounds Green LU Stn. 1940. IWM image HU94176.
UK CD proved to be highly resilient and effective during the SWW, local control was essential but so was the ability to pull in national assets when needed. Complex but workable command and control evolved.
There were restricted budgets in later years. Also, increasing cynicism regarding nuclear war and prospects of survival. 'War Game' and 'Threads'. Both were terrifying and accurate.
Clearly, a large-scale nuclear attack on the UK would be impossible to plan for in any meaningful way and would result in the total collapse of institutions, supplies and society and leave few survivors. But what about a limited one? Or chemical attack?
Remnants of CD were kept going but even these were largely abandoned post-Cold War. A small vestige comprising all volunteer largely unfunded CD organisations remains from the1960s but they lack the numbers or equipment to play a significant role.
More on UK Civil Defence history here https://civildefenceassociation.uk/history/
There was a small uplift in both resources and thinking post 2001 with growth of the international terror threat.
‘It is true that there is the Civil Contingencies Secretariat in Whitehall, but this has only 75 employees. Compare this to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the United States with 11,000 staff, and ...
...Russia (with a population only just over twice that of the UK), whose Emergency Situations Ministry (Emercom) has over 300,000 personnel’. Dr Rod Thornton and Dr Marina Miron in this article https://www.kcl.ac.uk/rethinking-homeland-resilience .
Not forgetting the huge improvements in recent years around JESIP (Joint Emergency Service Interoperability Principles). This offers a solid framework for major incidents. More detail here https://www.jesip.org.uk/home
So, what’s required? What might help? Warning: May contain buzzwords. (MOD image, troops fighting fires on Saddleworth Moor 2019).
An organisation that is agile and modular in its nature. That can be used to reinforce the 3 emergency services in a crisis or to take on tasks that would usually fall to the armed forces as MACA. One able to pivot between a range of quite different tasks.
A Civil Defence Service comprising a mix of full-time core workers in leadership or specialised roles plus a larger part-time element with more limited skill sets serving on something like the Army Reserve basis.
I’d imagine there would be no shortage of ex-forces or Blue Light people willing and qualified to take on the leadership and specialist roles.
What do the bulk of them need? Probably no more than good basic first aid (similar to police officers), basic CBRN knowledge and some ‘entry level’ fire-fighting skills. But what would they be used for? At major incidents, some/all Blue Light Services run out of people v quickly.
Key areas that frequently arise are cordons around incidents, screening/recording witnesses or casualties, door-to-door enquiries or message relaying. There are basic powers that could be conferred on Civil Defence personnel drawn from...
...those we already give to police officers and firefighters. Policing and Crime Act 2017 gives ‘designated person powers’ to individuals nominated by a chief officer within their force area.
Think PCSOs and custody staff. Using something like this would not be a significant expansion of existing powers. If you’re interested in Trumpton’s little known but quite extensive powers here’s a summary https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_and_Rescue_Services_Act_2004
There’s also a shedload of ‘donkey work’ that needs doing in many emergencies which they could assist with; filling sandbags, clearing debris, carrying supplies where vehicle access is limited etc.
Specialist teams would undertake roles such as CBRN assessment and decontamination, command and control and logistical functions. Specialist individuals with specific skills such as paramedics would be embedded within the wider organisation.
Where possible, the workforce should consist of those with useful skills from their current jobs but who would be unlikely to prove highly critical in most crises and thus able to leave those roles for a time...
e.g. building trades, delivery drivers outside key areas of work, event organisers etc. Transferable skills would be crucial. Want someone to shore up a building? Use plant? Put up loads of tents?
Some obvious arguments here; ‘but there’s no money!’ ‘Why not improve the existing emergency services?’ ‘Expand the armed forces capabilities for MACA’. Well, all of those are valid but I’d argue a civil defence force with the ability...
to pivot to support all 3 Blue Light services as required would be cheaper than upgrading capabilities for each. ‘Big Conflict’ vs peer and near-peer opponents would leave few resources from the RN/Army/RAF to assist. A civil defence force could cover many tasks and perhaps...
...even assist HM Forces with logistical and medical work within the UK in the event of major conflict.
Climate change leading to severe weather events and increased resource competition, a more aggressive posture from both Russia and China...
...the continued threat of international Jihadist terrorism, the rise of Far-Right terror groups with both of those benefitting from the use of social media to spread their ideologies.
The next 15-20 years are likely to be volatile and dangerous. A larger and more agile CD structure won’t stop any of those threats but it would help mitigate their negative effects on millions of UK citizens. ENDS.
