Highlands and Islands Strategic Co-ordinating Group
Highlands and Islands Strategic
Co-ordinating Group (HISCG)
Your local Strategic Co-ordinating Group
Your local Strategic Co-ordinating Group
An introduction to the HISCG Website from Chairman Mr Ian Latimer, Chief Constable of Northern Constabulary [Read more...]
What is the Highlands and Islands Strategic Co-ordinating Group?
Severe weather related disasters, such as storms, gales and flooding, the major pollution of controlled waters, the closure of a lifeline route, the impact of a pandemic disease – are all highlighted as the greatest risks to life, infrastructure, the environment and property in the Highlands and Islands.
Under the Civil Contingency Act (2004), Category 1 responders, such as Police, Fire and Rescue, Coastguard, SEPA , NHS Health boards and Local Authority services, are required to undertake multi-agency based risk assessments and plan for the response to, and recovery from, events or situations which may constitute a 'major emergency'.
The Highlands and Islands Strategic Co-ordinating Group, or HISCG, is one of eight such strategic, or “GOLD Command” multi agency groups in Scotland responsible for emergency planning, resilience and major emergency response and recovery. Each organisation within the HISCG is also responsible for contributing to warning and informing members of the public of potential risks and how they can be better prepared in the event of a major emergency.
Together the HISCG organisations span a huge geographical area covering the whole of the Highland region, Skye and the Western Isles, and the northern isles, Orkney and Shetland – in all about 12,000 square miles. This represents almost 50% of the landmass of Scotland with a population of approximately 300,000.
Examples of recent events in which HISCG members have collaborated include planning for Pandemic Influenza (Swine Flu) and the more recent severe winter weather events, as well as managing the potential consequences of a series of fuel supply shortages that were starting to impact on the region.
The HISCG, which formed originally in 1998, is comprised of 4 local authorities, 4 NHS health boards, the Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service, Scottish Ambulance Service, SEPA, the Maritime and Coastguard agency and one Police Force - Northern Constabulary. In addition to the Category 1 organisations it also has representation from the Scottish Government, the military, the Procurator Fiscal and an array of Category 2 organisations, such as the utility providers and the ports and harbour authorities, as well as linking into the voluntary agencies across the region. The HISCG acts as the conduit for the bringing together of all the organisations across the region who may be involved in a response to and recovery from a major emergency.
The HISCG Community risk register and the work being done to provide a multi agency response to those risks is published on this website.
The strategic aim of HISCG is: To establish and maintain effective multi agency arrangements to co-ordinate the response to and recovery from major emergencies, to minimise the impact of those emergencies on the public, property, and environment of The Highlands and Islands, and to meet the duties of the Civil Contingencies Act.
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