Suffolk resilience forum

 Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Unit (JEPU)

The Suffolk JEPU is a Local Authority partnership that supports the delivery of civil preparedness and business continuity services within 5 local authorities.

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 requires local authorities to provide the following services:

• Assess Suffolk risks and provide input to the Suffolk Community Risk Register.
• Develop Suffolk local authorities Emergency Plans.
• Develop Suffolk local authorities Business Continuity Management arrangements
• Develop arrangements to enable Civil Preparedness information to be available for public use.
• Maintain system for warning, informing and advising public in the event of an emergency.
• Share information with other Suffolk responders.
• Co-operate with other Suffolk responders to enhance co-operation and efficiency.

Additionally, local authorities are required to provide Business Continuity Management advice to Suffolk businesses and voluntary organisations.

The Suffolk JEPU staff are based both in the districts and boroughs, and centrally with the County Council where they provide the subject matter expertise, planning, training and advice to officers and councillors to facilitate civil preparedness capability within each council. Joint governance arrangements ensure that close ties are established with senior officers and elected members to allow joint direction setting and subsequent management of service delivery.

The JEPU also provides the local authority interface with the wider Suffolk Resilience Forum (SRF), the mechanism by which county multi-agency responders can co-operate with each other in preparing for and responding to emergencies within Suffolk.

Contact the Joint Emergency Planning Unit

Call 01473 265321 or email us at emergency.planning@suffolk.gov.uk.