[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Do you have a Local Resilience Forum? Should you have one? Also referred to for short as an LRF, the idea is to bring together different responders in a local area in order to guarantee cooperation in case of crises and disasters.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”2957″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” image_hovers=”false” lazy_loading=”true”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The term Local Resilience Forum in particular originates from the UK as a requirement of the UK Civil Contingencies Act (2004) and the local area corresponds to a police area.
Responders in this case include organisations such as the police, fire department, public health organisation, municipal councils, coastguard, military and Red Cross. However, the interest of an LRF can go further too.
An LRF, as defined above, is consultative, collaborative and communicative. It exists to help the different members adequately plan responses to emergencies and also document risks and actions.
Possible emergency situations include bad weather, network power loss, chemical spills, public health issues such as flu, and animal health issues.
The LRF also makes provision for joint training and practice exercises to face emergencies in a coordinated way, capably and effectively.
Other communities and countries have similar organisations in place to handle public emergencies. If for some reason, an LRF or its equivalent is lacking in your region, models exist to show who to involve and how to make it function.
It is also of interest to replace the notion of the public by that of a market, and the notion of coordinated responders by that of a supply chain.
This is particularly relevant in today’s supply chains that increasingly involve several independent enterprises, where serving the market properly is in the interests of all those enterprises.
Consultation, collaboration and communication, together with risk analysis, documentation, tests and practices, all make sense in handling emergency business situations too.
The difference is that for supply chains, such an “LRF” is not a legal requirement, although it still might turn out to be a “lifesaver” for those involved.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]