Presentation by Lincolnshire Resilience Forum (LRF) regarding Resilience and Emergency Planning
Minutes:
The Housing and Environmental Enforcement Manager introduced Kimberley from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, noting that she would present the community resilience work undertaken through the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum. It was explained that significant progress had been made over the past year to strengthen emergency planning, with trained Officers now in place and recent incidents managed effectively through partnership working. The presentation outlined how communities had been developing their own local resilience plans.
It was explained to Members of the Committee that the LRF’s aim was to raise public awareness of flood and non-flood related emergencies in the county and provide a foundation to build stronger, more resilient communities able to proactively plan for responding to and recovering from incidents whilst maintaining the welfare of their residents.
The LRF was explained as bringing together emergency services, local authorities, health providers, the Environment Agency, voluntary groups, and other key organisations.
Community Emergency Response Teams were explained as a group of tactically trained local volunteers who were ready to act and support their community by preparing for responding too and recovering from emergencies.
Examples were provided of local emergencies and how the community response teams had reacted with community resilience.
A Member of the Committee raised an issue regarding a recent incident in which a cordon had been put in place and homes had been evacuated. It was noted that, although the community had an emergency plan and key holders were able to open facilities quickly, initial contact had been made with the parish clerk rather than the relevant emergency planning personnel. This had created some difficulty, and the Member highlighted the need for clearer initial communication during such events. A further example was given of a later incident in Market Rasen, where contact had again been made in the Member’s capacity as a County Councillor rather than through the community emergency response arrangements.
In response, Kimberley clarified that the example referenced had been intended to illustrate the value of community resilience rather than to suggest that a formal community emergency response team had been deployed. It was confirmed that lessons had been identified through the debrief process and that improvements were being implemented. Work was ongoing to support communities in recruiting and empowering volunteers and in promoting awareness of local emergency response arrangements.
The outlined the aim of establishing a consistent baseline of community resilience across parishes was explained to Members of the Committee. Communities were being supported to develop plans, form a core group of volunteers, and put basic structures in place, with the intention that stronger Community Emergency Response Teams could then be built over time.
It was explained that the focus was on helping communities plan for, respond to, and recover more quickly from emergencies. Support was offered throughout the process, with Kimberley acting as the Community Resilience Officer for Lincolnshire. Assistance included help with drafting plans and ongoing guidance as teams developed.
Members were advised that each parish area was provided with a Community Emergency Response starter kit containing basic equipment to aid communication and initial response. The kit was intended for a team of ten volunteers, with communities able to expand their equipment as they wished.
Once plans had been completed and agreed, teams were given contact details for the duty emergency planning officers, who were available at all times. It was confirmed that, where volunteers were acting under the direction of the emergency planning team and had completed the required documentation, their activities would be covered by the County Council’s indemnity insurance.
Different alert statuses were explained, Kimberley demonstrated the online mapping tool that allowed community groups to search their parish and check the status of any Community Emergency Response Team. It was explained that the system indicated whether a team was established, in development, or not yet formed, and provided the emergency planning contact email for further enquiries. Communities were encouraged to explore the tool and to contact the service if they wished to begin the process.
Members were informed that promotional materials, including a new leaflet covering fire safety, community resilience, and flexible volunteering options, had been produced to support engagement at public events. Kimberley also referred to the “Ready for Anything” volunteer scheme, which allowed individuals to opt in for occasional support without the commitments of joining a formal response team.
It was reported that a community resilience conference would take place on 7 October 2026 at the Petwood Hotel, open both to existing volunteers and those seeking further information. The event aimed to share good practice from across Lincolnshire. Kimberley emphasised the importance of ongoing training and engagement to ensure that community plans remained active rather than becoming static documents.
The Chairman thanked Kimberley for her presentation and opened the floor to Members.
Members thanked Kimberley for the presentation and noted that community resilience work was developing at different paces across Parishes, with some Councils concerned about taking on additional responsibilities. Interest was expressed in the emergency response starter kit as a way to promote the scheme at local events.
Kimberley confirmed that Community Emergency Response Teams were community?led rather than Parish?Council?led, with broader community involvement essential to avoid over reliance on the same volunteers. Parish Councils served mainly as a contact point, while responsibility for maintaining plans rested with the community teams.
Members raised ongoing flooding issues in Sturton by Stow, highlighting the significant impact on affected residents. Kimberley acknowledged the stresses associated with flooding and signposted Members to resources on the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum website, including the “Blue Pages” directory and “Flood Mary”, a social media account which shared low?cost mitigation ideas based on personal experience. Kimberley encouraged signposting residents to these resources for further practical advice.
The Chairman referred to recent incidents in Ingham and praised the strong community response. He emphasised the importance of helping residents maintain daily routines during emergencies and suggested wider promotion of resilience information to parishes and local service providers.
A Member noted that parish engagement with emergency planning had historically been inconsistent and suggested that additional support from councillors could assist. He emphasised that resilience planning covered a wide range of incidents beyond flooding and highlighted the importance of coordinated local groups during the early stages of an emergency.
In response, Kimberley welcomed Members’ support and explained that she used interactive sessions with communities to help them identify key elements of their plan. She noted that she was the sole Community Resilience Officer for Lincolnshire, making Councillor advocacy particularly valuable. Officers added that District Council staff regularly promoted resilience planning during parish engagement and would provide further materials to assist councillors in encouraging take?up.
In bringing discussions to a close, the Chairman thanked Kimberley and Emma for a thorough and informative presentation, and thanked Members for their engaging discussion.
Following the presentation, the Chairman sought nominations to elect a Vice-Chairman for the remainder of the meeting.
Having been proposed, seconded and voted upon it was
RESOLVED that Councillor Mullally be appointed Vice-Chairman of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee for the remainder of the meeting.