A ground-breaking agreement between the emergency services and voluntary groups in central Scotland has been signed, binding a partnership that sees them work together in preparation for and during emergencies.

Chief officers from the Central Scotland Emergency Services (CSES) and local authority representatives from Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling met with voluntary sector emergency responders on 27 July to sign a memorandum of understanding to work together in the Forth Valley area. It is thought to be the first such agreement in the UK.

The agreement formalises work undertaken by the Central Scotland Strategic Coordinating Group (CSSCG), which incorporates the three local authorities, over the past ten years, said Richard O'Grady, CSSCG contingencies coordinator. The CSSCG is one of eight SCG's throughout Scotland, comprised of a number of agencies with an active role in integrated emergency management, responding to events such as flooding, explosions, or major industrial accidents.  

The CSSCG first launched the Voluntary Sector Coordinating Group in 2007. In 2010 it was developed further to offer a single point of contact with voluntary organisations during emergencies. This single point of contact coordinates with the emergency services to provide appropriate voluntary support from its 13 member organisations, which include the British Red Cross, the Salvation Army and Victim Support.

The memorandum of understanding strengthens the roles and responsibilities of the VSCG members, ensures their expenses are covered in the event of a response and outlines a policy of mutual aid.

The VSCG is chaired by Helen Bath, operations director at the British Red Cross. She said: "Until now, the training and exercising of voluntary organisations for emergency response has not really been co-ordinated. This memorandum of understanding gives the CSSCG voluntary sector partners the opportunity to combine resources, engage in joint training and work more effectively together in the event of major emergencies."

Kenneth Taylor, chief fire officer for Central Scotland Fire and Rescue Service and chair of the CSSCG praised the role of volunteers in emergency response: "Within CSSCG we have long since recognised that our partners within the voluntary sector play a significant role in supporting key responder agencies in times of community need. They have access to a rich stream of well-trainied and willing volunteer staff across a range of disciplines and we very much welcome the development of this MOU."

The current VSCG members are:

British Red Cross
St Andrews First Aid
Salvation Army
Falkirk Street Pastors
Ochil Mountain Rescue
Samaritans
International Rescue Corps
Victim Support
Trossachs Search & Rescue
WRVS
Council for Voluntary Service (CVS)
Central Scotland Racial Equality Council (CSREC)
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