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Humanitarian Assistance Centre Training Day
On Wednesday 18th March 09, a Humanitarian Assistance Centre Multi-Agency Training Day was held at the Wynyard Rooms, Billingham. The event was organised by Cleveland Emergency Planners Hayley Leighton, and Claire Storey on behalf of Cleveland Local Resilience Forum. The event brought together those agencies with a key role to play in providing post-incident support to those affected by a major emergency, including Local Authorities, Emergency Services, Health, and the Voluntary Sector. The event combined syndicate group work with case study presentations outlining the humanitarian response to previous emergencies including the London July 7 terrorist attacks and the Rotherham floods of 2007. The final presentation of the day considered the perspectives and experiences of a survivor and provided a poignant reminder of the importance of providing effective and co-ordinated humanitarian assistance after an incident.
The presentation was delivered by Helen Mitchell (pictured above with Chief Emergency Planning Officer, Denis Hampson) who is a survivor of the 1999 Paddington rail crash. Helen’s presentation provided an account of her life before the incident, her experiences at the incident scene, her initial reactions to the event and her gradual decline and eventual diagnosis with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Helen is a member of the Paddington Survivors Group and has since campaigned for safety and efficient management practice to take higher priority in the railway industry. Feedback from delegates was that the training day was the best that has ever been held in Cleveland. Delegates praised the excellent speakers; in particular, Helen’s moving account of her experiences following the rail crash. For more information about Humanitarian Assistance Centres and their role in an emergency, please contact Cleveland Emergency Planning Unit on 01642 221121 or visit www.clevelandemergencyplanning.info . Article added 01/05/09 No liability is accepted in respect of the content of external websites as they are beyond the control of the Cleveland Emergency Planning Unit
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