“The London Emergency Services Liaison Panel (LESLP) was formed in 1973 and consists of representatives from the Metropolitan Police Service, City of London Police, British Transport Police, the London Fire Brigade, the London Ambulance Service and local authorities. The Port of London Authority (PLA), Marine Coastguard, RAF, Military and voluntary sector are also represented. LESLP has the ability to invite representatives from other agencies into the group when required, dependent on the nature and type of incident. The group meets once every three months under the chair of the Metropolitan Police Service, Emergency Preparedness Operational Command Unit.
1.2 The procedures adopted by each of the emergency services in response to a major incident are understandably devoted to the role of the service concerned. The purpose of this document is to describe the agreed procedures and arrangements for the effective co-ordination of their joint efforts. In this way the overall response of the emergency services will be greater than the sum of their individual efforts, to the benefit of the public.
1.3 This Manual provides summaries of the responses and responsibilities of each of the emergency services at a major incident, as well as an outline of the support role offered by local authorities. We hope it will offer better understanding to the individual specialists involved in working with each other in a co-ordinated way.
1.4 There are many serious and protracted incidents which do not meet the criteria for a major incident but which would nonetheless warrant a co-ordinated effort from the services involved. These events have impacted on the emergency services and local authorities, and necessitated the implementation of special arrangements to manage these incidents, and clear benefits have been achieved from using the relevant aspects from this Major Incident Manual and maintaining the continuity of the co-ordinated approach these procedures provide.
1.5 This Manual has been prepared for the information and guidance of the emergency services and local authorities but may be used by any other responsible organisation which may have to respond to a major incident. It must be remembered that the procedures within this Manual are generally related to activities at, or ancillary to, the scene of the incident, that have a bearing on a number of the agencies involved. Detailed descriptions of single service functions are not included. The Manual includes references to roles and responsibilities of some non-emergency service organisations. The list of organisations included is not exhaustive and it is recognised that a wide range of organisations are likely to be involved in supporting the response of the emergency services…”