Monday 18 November 2013
The emergency services and other responders in the States of Guernsey are keen to promote joined up working procedures in the run up to winter when adverse weather conditions are to be expected. By working together, sharing information and prioritising resources, a better response is possible.
Catherine Veron, States Emergency Planning Officer said:
"The Home Department is responsible for ensuring suitable emergency planning arrangements are in place. Emergency planning is a continuous process and requires both responders and community engagement if it is to be successful."
For severe weather, a multi agency coordinating group will be established to ensure the highest priorities for the community are responded to first. The local media plays a vital role in ensuring that the community is kept up to date with what is often a rapidly changing situation. The latest information about road safety is also available from the Guernsey Police Facebook page.
Guernsey Police will continuously assess road safety conditions and will regularly issue information to the local media stations. Advice is likely to focus on the conditions of the roads and may suggest that only essential journeys should be considered. The individual is responsible for deciding if their journey is essential and whether they have a suitable vehicle/driving experience for such a journey.
Should it snow, States Works focus will be on clearing the main arterial roads to ensure emergency access for essential services. Some footpaths will also be cleared in St Peter Port, St Sampsons and the St Martins village area to encourage safe pedestrian access. However, wherever possible property owners are encouraged to clear the footpaths and access routes outside their building(s). States Works have invested in sufficient stock piles of CMA40 and rock salt to last the island 5 days based on their response plan. But individuals can purchase supplies of CMA40 the only de-icer authorised for use by Guernsey Water, direct from States Works by contacting them on Tel No:- 246263. A copy of the map showing which of the routes States Works will clear is available from www.gov.gg/snowandiceclearance. Any roads in red or gray do not get treated.
The Education Department will make every effort to open all schools which are able to operate in a safe environment. However there may be some which cannot open due to unsafe access, issues with the facilities (e.g. burst water pipes or heating system failures)
or inadequate staffing levels. The decision as to whether schools are open or not will be made once the Department has received the relevant information from individual sites and considered guidance from other agencies in respect of current and forecast road/pavement and weather conditions. An announcement should be expected by 7.15am on a weekday morning.
It is expected that parents use their discretion to keep a child at home if they believe that conditions are such as to make it unreasonable or unsafe for the child to attempt to reach school
When severe weather conditions arise during the school day, announcements will be made as soon as decisions are taken and regularly thereafter.
The grant-aided Colleges will make their own decisions whether to open or not based on their respective operational circumstances and will advise the media accordingly.
-ENDS-
