To create and maintain data bases of skills at national and local level, key equipment and its whereabouts, and the means to organise and distribute both.
Emergencies of all types occur on a frequent basis. During Covid we needed to determine WW availability and acquisition of PPE kit, create a data base for retirees / leavers of ex health professionals able to provide additional support, and organise and administer a vaccination programme.
Other recent emergencies include the Grenfell fire where no accommodation for displaced victims, no food and supplies for those affected and no emotional support for dependants was available that night. On a lesser scale, closing Calais port so that freight traffic was temporarily remotely parked had no available toilets, showers or hot food for too long.
When no one owns the problem, Govt / Local Govt response is initially non existent, then patchy and finally stung into action by public uproar. As no existing organisation exists, there is no immediate support mechanism and it has to be created from zero on each occasion so losing valuable time.
It is often a combination of public and embarrassed private support.
Eventually if the problem is logistical the Army is brought in not only to provide the support to deliver the activity but also a structure of command to control.
We can do better.
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