Incident management

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Evacuation

Major emergencies often involve the need to provide temporary accommodation for groups of people. This may be to provide initial care following a transport accident, or an incident at a public event, or because they have been asked to leave their homes for their own safety (for example, due to flooding).

Various centres may have a role in the registration of survivors for the Police Casualty Bureau. This lets the authorities make an accurate record of missing persons and provides information for friends and relatives.

Types of centre

Different types of centre may be set up to provide temporary accommodation depending on the circumstances:

• Survivor Reception Centre

A temporary shelter set up by the emergency services for the victims of a disaster to provide basic initial needs. The council and voluntary organisations may be asked to help with the care of evacuees.

• Rest Centre

These premises are set up for the temporary accommodation of evacuees, providing facilities for feeding and sleeping. In many cases, secondary schools are used. These are run by the council, although voluntary organisations may be asked to help out.

• Evacuation Centre

These premises set up to provide temporary shelter for persons evacuated from their homes or places of work. They are jointly run by the police and the council.

• Friends and Relatives Centre

These premises are set up to meet the needs of friends and relatives who travel to the scene. Run by the council's social work department with help from the police and voluntary organisations.