How we deal with major emergencies

What an emergency is

An emergency is defined in part 1 of the Civil Contingencies Act (2004), as an event or situation which threatens:

• damage to human welfare in a place in the UK 
• damage to the environment of a place in the UK 
• serious damage to the security of the UK through war or terrorism  

Some examples of emergencies in Haringey include:

• swine flu (2009/10)
• civil disturbances (2011)
• water main burst on Green Lanes (2015) 
• surface water flooding (2021 and 2022)

Any emergency that needs the emergency services to use special arrangements is called a major emergency.

Risk planning 

The Haringey Resilience Forum looks at hazards and threats in Haringey that could lead to emergencies. We keep a list of these risks on a register. Please contact us if you want a copy of the risk register.

How we find out about emergencies 

We usually find out about an emergency from the emergency services, like the police or fire service.  

Relevant officers are contacted, and the emergency planning officer is informed if the incident looks like it could become a major emergency.