FOI Request 2163

Subject: Multi-Agency Emergency Preparedness

Status: Complete

Date received: May 2025

Question Asked:

I am conducting a study of multi-agency emergency preparedness.

Under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I am writing to request the following information:

1. How many multi-agency exercises have been conducted by your organisation within the last 3 years (1st May 2022 to 30th April 2025 inclusive).

2. What proportion of these multi-agency exercises were:

   i. Tabletop / Scenario Based

   ii. Live Exercises

   iii. Other (please state).

3. Please detail how post-exercise findings are fed back into the organisation and how any changes to policies and procedures are implemented as a result of this feedback.

4. What proportion of multi-agency exercises in the last 3 years:

   i. involved more than two CCA 2004 category one responder organisations (please detail)

   ii. involved CCA 2004 category two responders (please detail)

   iii. involved organisations from the voluntary and faith based sectors (please detail).

5. Please detail how the aims and objectives of the exercise are determined and communicated to the parties involved.

Our Response:

Please see our response below to your Freedom of Information Request.

1. How many multi-agency exercises have been conducted by your organisation within the last 3 years (1st May 2022 to 30th April 2025 inclusive).

   There have been 3 exercises ‘conducted’ by CFRS. These are those which have been arranged entirely by CFRS with multi-agency players invited.

   Deva Flame (May 22)

   Civic Flame (Mar 24)

   Astra Flame (May 25)

   In the last 3 years CFRS have been involved in the following number of Multi-Agency exercises through the Cheshire Resilience Forum (although these were not ‘conducted’, planned or arranged by CFRS; the majority of multi-agency exercises are co-ordinated by the Resilience Forum.

   Major Live - 15

   Table top - 12

   Other Multi Agency - 3

2. What proportion of these multi-agency exercises were:

   i. Tabletop / Scenario Based

   ii. Live Exercises

   iii. Other (please state).

   All 3 exercises were Live, which included Tactical and Strategic Coordination Groups and Media Cells.

3. Please detail how post-exercise findings are fed back into the organisation and how any changes to policies and procedures are implemented as a result of this feedback.

   Post exercise internal debriefs and multiagency debriefs were held in accordance with our Operational Learning Policy. Actions identified are agreed at our Operational Learning Board and tracked through this group to completion.

4. What proportion of multi-agency exercises in the last 3 years:

   i. involved more than two CCA 2004 category one responder organisations (please detail)

   All 3 involved Fire, Police, Ambulance and Environment Agency.

   Civic Flame also included Merseyside FRS and Astra Flame included Derbyshire FRS.

   ii. involved CCA 2004 category two responders (please detail)

   All 3 exercises involved Local Authority, United Utilities, UKHSA and NHS England.

   iii. involved organisations from the voluntary and faith based sectors (please detail).

   Civic Flame involved voluntary sector from Red Cross.

5. Please detail how the aims and objectives of the exercise are determined and communicated to the parties involved.

   Invites to Local Resilience Forum contacts to join exercise planning where they are invited to set their own internal objectives. These are recorded on the exercise management document, which is controlled by CFRS.

Outcome: Information Provided

FOI responded to within timescales: YES

Further action: NO