Devonport’s emergency plan has been updated to reflect new communication technology to help people stay informed in the unlikely event of a nuclear incident.
The Devonport off-site Emergency Plan (DOSEP) details how partner agencies work together during the response and recovery phases of a radiation emergency and outlines their roles and responsibilities.
While nuclear site operators have a statutory duty to prepare an on-site emergency plan, councils with nuclear operators in their area also must have an extensive off-site emergency plan, which should be reviewed and where necessary, revised at least once every three years.
The latest version takes into account the changing ways in which incidents were managed during the COVID pandemic. In particular, the use of virtual meetings such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, remote working and the use of social media which now allows agencies to respond to emergencies in a much more agile and targeted manner.
Agencies involved in any incident can also use Emergency Alerts, a UK Government cell broadcast service which provides a warning to people through their mobile phone if there is a danger to life nearby. Plymouth was the first local authority area to use the system in February 2024 during the Keyham bomb incident.
Councillor Sally Haydon, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said: “This is formalising new tools we have to use in the unlikely event of an incident.
“Many of us remember how effective the alert system was during the Keyham bomb evacuation – this is making sure our documentation and plans reflect what we are able to call on, should we ever need to use them.
The dockyard is a regulated site overseen by the Office for Nuclear Regulation and stringent safety measures are in place at the site, alongside plans for managing public safety in the unlikely event of a major incident that might impact beyond the Devonport site.
As well as the Government alert system Plymouth City Council has a free emergency text notification service for a Devonport Site Emergency. This system is tested each year. To sign up for this service visit www.plymouth.gov.uk/emergencies
Following Exercise Short Sermon 2022 which tested the last version of the plan and subsequent debrief recommendations, a full review of the plan took place resulting in this updated version.