Foston’s Local

Emergency Plan 2026

Version: 2026.1.0

Issue Date: May 2026

Review Date: January 2027

1. Activation of this Plan

This Plan will be activated when:

● at least two members of the Foston Emergency Planning Group (FEPG) consider it necessary to take action in response to an incident

OR

● when the FEPG is instructed to activate this plan by

o the Emergency Planning Officer (EPO) of Lincolnshire County Council’s Emergency Planning Unit (see Section 2 below)

OR

o any representative of the Emergency Services

When activated, the key actions in Section 3 must be followed.

2. Role of the Emergency Planning Officer (EPO)

The Emergency Planning Officer (EPO) is employed by Lincolnshire County Council’s Emergency Planning Unit to coordinate response to emergencies in the county.

Whether this plan is activated by the FEPG or by Lincolnshire County Council’s Emergency Planning Unit or by the emergency services, contact must be established and maintained with the Emergency Planning Officer (EPO), who can be reached on:

● 01522 843402 (Business hours)

OR

● 01413 979363 (out of hours)

County-wide support, additional resources and voluntary groups cannot be activated without the EPO’s involvement and support.

Where necessary, the EPO will also be able to liaise directly with the emergency services Incident Commander (IC) within the inner cordon of the Incident, and can:

● relay any concerns raised by the FEPG

● help identify vulnerable people

● help coordinate FEPG actions

3. Key Actions - What To Do When This Plan Is Activated

A. At all times, be aware of your own safety and the safety of those around you

B. Gather as much information about the situation as possible using the Initial Call Log at Appendix 2. The Log employs the ETHANE Principle:

● Exact location of emergency

● Type of incident

● Hazards that are present or anticipated

● Access routes for the emergency services

● Number of people and/or properties involved (estimate)

● Emergency services or other organisations already in attendance or required (e.g. Police, Fire, Ambulance, Utilities etc)

If the situation is life-threatening – dial 999 without delay.

C. If appropriate, make contact with the emergency services via 999. Inform them of the contact number and location of the FEPG

D. Make contact with the Emergency Planning Officer (EPO) at Lincolnshire Emergency Planning Unit on 01522 843402 (working hours) or 01413 979363 (out of hours – ask for the Emergency Planning Officer). Inform them of the contact number and location of the FEPG

E. Contact all members of FEPG (see Appendix 6) and arrange to meet at Foston Village Hall. See Section 4.2 for details on how to access the Village Hall

F. Take control until the emergency services arrive, if they are able to attend, and instruct everyone to follow any advice from the emergency services. Make use of Foston Massive (the village WhatsApp group) to assist with dissemination of information

G. Arrange for local residents to be warned of any danger. Make use of Foston Massive (the village WhatsApp group) to assist with dissemination of information. Encourage villagers to share information. Where possible, contact any vulnerable members of the community individually to offer support and advice. Liaise with community resources/organisations as necessary – see Appendix 3 for useful contact numbers.

H. Liaise with the EPO to consider if it is necessary to open an emergency shelter. The EPO will request whether this is required from the Incident Commander (IC). Either the IC or the EPO may identify a location. FEPG may be asked to establish the centre prior to voluntary groups arriving

I. Tune into BBC Radio Lincolnshire (94.9 FM, 104.7 FM) or BBC Radio Humberside (95.9 FM) and advise the community to do the same.

J. Maintain regular communication with all FEPG members, and Lincolnshire County Council's Emergency Planning Unit

4. Community Incident Room

4.1. Location

In the event of the activation of this Plan, members of the FEPG will convene at the FEPG Community Incident Room, which is located at:

Foston Village Hall, Church St, Foston, Grantham NG32 2LG

The What3Words code for the Village Hall is ///brings.galaxies.condition

4.2. Access

Access to the building is by way of a duplicate set of keys which are located in a digital key box which, in turn, is mounted on the brick wall to the right of the back door to the Village Hall. To assist memory, the code for the key box refers to the date of death of Queen Elizabeth II – the code is 0809. Access to the key box is only permitted upon activation of this plan (see Section 1) or during its testing (see Section 6.3).

4.3. Facilities

The Hall can provide table seating for up to 130 people. It contains toilet facilities and a full catering facility, including kitchen, microwave, fridge, freezer etc.

Basic supplies such as tea, coffee, sugar, cups, bottled water etc are available at all times in the Village Hall.

The Hall has wifi access provided by the Parish Council. Access credentials are:

Router TALKTALK8BA419

Password QCP8K98M

4.4. Community Emergency Box

An Emergency Box is maintained at the Community Incident Room in the Village Hall. The Emergency Box is labelled, and kept in the room next to the kitchen. Its contents are reviewed annually, as part of this plan’s annual review (see Section 6.3 below). It contains:

● A copy of this Plan

● Ordnance Survey Map of the community and the immediate environment

● Torches, batteries and a windup radio

● Reflective tabards

● 20 Lanyards in bright colour to identify Foston volunteers

● Stapler and staples

● Loudhailer

4.5. Other Key Village Locations

St. Peter’s Church, 1 Church Street, Foston, Grantham NG32 2LD

The What3Words code for St. Peter’s Church is (rather wonderfully) ///depravity.worker.torso

Gorrie Hall, Chapel Lane, Foston NG32 2JZ

The What3Words code for Gorrie Hall is ///trades.elevate.aliens

4.6. Useful Contact Numbers

See Appendix 3.

5. Medical Emergencies

5.1. Defibrillator

Public access village defibrillators are located at:

● The Village Hall, Church Street, NG32 2LG

● The old public telephone box, Main Street, NG32 2JU

Appropriate signage is in place to help people locate them.

The Foston defibrillators are locked within secure casings. To access them, ring 999 and ask for the ambulance service. Confirm that you are dealing with a cardiac arrest, and confirm the location of the defibrillator (shown on the secure casing). The ambulance service will:

● provide a code to unlock the defibrillator secure casing

● talk you through the process of how to use the machine, along with the defibrillator prompts

Further instructions on how to operate the defibrillators are available once the casing has been unlocked.

5.2. Medical Support

In the event of a medical emergency, the following members of the community have medical experience and/or training, and have volunteered to be called upon to provide assistance.

They are only to be called upon in the event of a full medical emergency - for example, while waiting for ‘blue light’ emergency services to arrive, having called for an ambulance. They are:

Dr Christine Phillips .................. 07533 567183

Debbie Starr .............................. 07979 126455

Eileen Ross ................................ 07710 534732

6. Plan Administration

6.1. Mission Statement

The purpose of this, the Foston Local Emergency Plan, is to prepare the community of Foston to be ready for a local emergency, in case the emergency services are delayed or unable to attend, or if it is inappropriate for them to do so, given the nature of the emergency.

This plan contains information to be used during a local emergency affecting the community of Foston.

The aims of the plan are:

● to build resilience within the community

● in an emergency, to use our local resources in the most efficient and successful way possible

● to provide expertise and safe voluntary support within Foston in an emergency, if

o the emergency services cannot be present, or

o it is inappropriate for them to be present, given the nature of the emergency

6.2. Controlled Document Status

This plan is a controlled document.

It has been prepared and approved by members of the Foston Emergency Planning Group (FEPG), who are identified in the Distribution List which forms Appendix 6. A copy is supplied to Lincolnshire County Councils Emergency Planning Unit for information purposes.

Paper copies of this plan are kept at the homes or offices of those on the Distribution List which forms Appendix 6, and by Lincolnshire County Councils Emergency Planning Unit.

The master copy of this plan is maintained in the Cloud. It is located at:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/19QcjUTeR6RYPfWtRegVo5ybomVL5O3T9/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=113756242292815425750&rtpof=true&sd=true

No password is required to access the master copy, but amendments should only be made by a member of the FEPG, and with the approval of the FEPG.

Any amendment to this plan, whether major or minor, must be recorded in the Record of Amendments which forms Appendix 5. Fresh copies of the amended document must be issued to those named in the Distribution List below.

All previous copies must be destroyed by their holders upon receipt of a fresh issue.

6.3. Approval and Testing

This plan is reviewed and approved annually in January by the Foston Emergency Planning Group (FEPG), members of which are identified in the Distribution List which forms Appendix 6.

Approval is by way of an informal meeting of the FEPG attended by at least a majority of its members and by the Chair of Foston Parish Council. Attendance may be in person or virtual. Approval may be granted by a majority of those attending. In the event of a tie, the Chair of Foston Parish Council has a casting vote.

This plan will be tested every December. The Community Emergency Lead for Foston will have the responsibility for conducting the test. Testing will be conducted at an appropriate level, and may consist of a test of all of the plan, or only a single aspect of it, at the discretion of the Community Emergency Lead.

Any information or lessons learned from testing should be factored into the plan’s annual review process.

Appendix 1 - Area Served by this Plan

Appendix 2 - Initial Call Log

This form follows the ETHANE format and is intended to be used as an aide memoire/prompt when responding to an incident.

Initial Call Log
Exact Location
Type of Incident
Hazards Present — Details
Access
Number and nature of casualties/fatalities
Emergency Services involved
EPO notified Y/N	Activation of Local Emergency plan notified Y/N	Date of Call:	Time of Call:

If fatalities are suspected and the Emergency Services are not at the scene, please contact the Police in the first instance on 999 to report the situation. Please take advice from the Police on what further action to take. Issues to consider are tampering with forensic evidence and the contamination of a potential crime scene

Appendix 3 – Useful Telephone Numbers and Contacts

Long Bennington Medical Centre

● Switchboard 01400 281220

South Kesteven District Council

● Working hours 01476 406080

● Out of hours 01476 406040

Lincolnshire Police

● Emergency Calls 999

● Non emergency calls 101

● Local Police Station - Long Bennington Rural Beat Office, Main Street, Long Bennington

Lincolnshire County Council Emergency Planning & Business Continuity Service

● Working Hours 01522 843402

● Out of hours 01413 979363 (ask for Emergency Planning Officer)

Environment Agency

● Incident Hotline 0800 807060 (24 hours)

● Floodline 0345 988 1188 (24 hours)

Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue

● Emergency calls 999

● General enquiries 01522 555777

Local Flood Authority

● Flood reporting line 01522 782082

Long Bennington Parish Council

● Jane Evans – Parish Clerk 01400 282716

parishclerk@longbenningtonparishcouncil.org.uk

Marston Parish Council

● Marc Whelan – Parish Clerk 07966 489489

marstonpcclerk@gmail.com

Westborough & Dry Doddington Parish Council

● Belina Boyer – Parish Clerk 07356 031636

clerk@westborough-dry-doddington-pc.gov.uk

Foston Parish Council

● Vacant – Chair Vacant

● Christine Smith – Parish Clerk 07500 904652

clerk@fostonparishcouncil.gov.uk

Long Bennington Church of England Academy

● David Nicholson- Headteacher 01400 281353

Appendix 4 – Foston Hazards and Threats Assessment

Pandemic	Assessed Nationally and Regionally as our highest threat
Inland Flooding	Farmland only identified at risk
Severe Weather	Extreme weather including heavy rain, strong winds, snow and ice are becoming more frequent, and can have a severe community impact - particularly if coupled with loss of critical infrastructure.
Transport Accidents	Major incident on Al Major incident on East Coast Main Line
Industrial Accidents	Accident at petrol station on Al Agricultural accident having an impact on environment
Loss of Critical Infrastructure	Damage caused by fire, storms or accidents may have a potential impact on energy supplies or water, or deprive the community of any of its important facilities