DCC Shaun West starts Exec Chair role for Local Resilience Forum

He takes over from Chief Constable Rod Hansen, who has headed the LRF since 2013.

Gloucestershire Constabulary's Deputy Chief Constable Shaun West has become the new Executive Chair of the county's Local Resilience Forum (LRF).

He takes over from Chief Constable Rod Hansen, who has headed the LRF since 2013.

LRFs aim to plan, prepare and communicate for localised incidents and catastrophic emergencies. They work to identify potential risks and produce emergency plans to either prevent or mitigate the impact of incidents on local communities.

The Forum is made up of representatives from local public services, including the emergency services, local authorities, the NHS, other health bodies and the Environment Agency and they operate right across the country.  Gloucestershire’s LRF partner agencies plan, prepare and communicate not just for local incidents but also extend into the region when a wider response is required.

Under Chief Constable Rod Hansen's leadership, the LRF has responded to multiple incidents, including several flooding events, the Covid-19 response, Storm Eunice, the extreme heat experienced this summer and most recently, the death of HM The Queen.

In 2010 Rod established the International Police Response Cadre (IPRC) which is a team of specially trained police officers who work alongside the military and are able to deploy at short notice to high threat locations across the world. Although not directly impacting local arrangements, the initiative is a demonstration of Chief Constable Hansen’s continued dedication to response and recovery during major incidents.

The new chair, DCC West, has a wealth of experience in emergency preparedness, including his recent role as chairperson of the Covid19 National Foresight Group. This work resulted in Shaun leading four Interim Operational Reviews in support of Ministers across England and Wales.

He was also previously the chairperson of the Lincolnshire LRF, leading on all resilience and emergency preparedness for response and recovery across the county.

DCC West said: "I want to thank Chief Constable Hansen for his dedication to the role over the last nine years and for the insight and expertise he has brought to improving local resilience work across all agencies in the county.

"I'm looking forward to leading this vital area of business and continuing to enhance how we work together as a county to keep people safe when they need it most."  

The LRF's website, Gloucestershire Prepared, includes information for the public about what to do in the event of a range of emergencies:  www.glosprepared.co.uk