Evaluating the resilience of critical infrastructure for emergency response to extreme flood events in Leicester City

在英格兰全国优先级排名中，莱斯特市在4,215个定居点中排名第16位，这些定居点在地表水洪水风险方面进行了评估（Defra 2009）。由于其地理和地质环境，河流洪水风险也被认为很高。2012年，莱斯特、莱斯特郡和拉特兰地方复原力论坛（LLR LRF）协调了一项多机构防洪计划，并定期由其成员组织审查。该计划为多机构应对洪水事件做出安排并提供信息，旨在：（i）为协调LLR LRF地区的洪水事件提供多机构应对框架;（ii）联系和协调地方当局，社区洪水计划和与洪水有关的个别机构业务计划。根据2004年共同国家评估，MAFP中的地方应急人员分为两类，每一类有不同的职责。第一类是应对洪水紧急情况的核心组织（例如地方当局和应急服务）。LLR LRF认识到，成功实施MAFP需要关键的运营和利益相关者组织（例如消防和救援，A&E和水务公司）共同提供高效和无中断的服务。这在很大程度上取决于关键基础设施节点和网络的运作。LLR LRF旨在了解MAFP在气候变化中对关键基础设施的依赖性有多强。此外，其核心组织（如莱斯特市理事会、莱斯特郡消防和救援服务）热衷于了解其具体组织计划的稳健性，包括地方当局计划和紧急服务计划。例如，如果一个指定的避难所/接待中心面临洪水的危险，它可能会对疏散和救援行动的进行产生连锁反应。同样，一个受损的变电站可能会影响到有效的应急反应所依赖的基础设施服务的运作。特别是，交通系统被水淹没，可能会使计划的救援路线无法通行，从而影响紧急服务（例如消防和救援; A&E）的现有疏散/救援计划。该项目汇集了拉夫堡大学三个学院的一组跨学科研究人员，包括地理学，土木与建筑工程，商业与经济学，他们在洪水风险管理，气候变化适应，应急规划，交通应对天气条件和洪水风险恢复能力方面具有专业知识，与莱斯特的主要1类响应者合作（市理事会、消防和救援局以及环境局）就这个问题通过莱斯特、莱斯特郡和拉特兰当地复原力论坛进行联络。该项目将考虑与应急规划和响应的实施直接相关的两种相互关联的基础设施，包括：㈠作为业务节点和网络的基础设施，将在此做出决策，启动救援并重新分配; ㈡出于业务原因位于洪水区的基本公用事业和支持基础设施。主要交付成果包括：1）对基础设施故障的个人和网络影响的评估。2）以适应措施和应急计划的形式向莱斯特弹性论坛的多机构洪水计划、莱斯特消防和救援服务的洪水响应计划提出的建议清单，和急诊室（通过理事会）. 3）洪水应急规划和响应的一般性建议，可以很容易地由莱斯特市以外的决策者采用。

Leicester City is ranked 16th out of the 4,215 settlements assessed within England in the National Priority Ranking in terms of surface water flooding risks (Defra 2009). Fluvial flood risks are also considered high due to its geographical and geological setting. A Multi-Agency Flood Plan (MAFP) is coordinated by the Local Resilience Forum for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland (LLR LRF) in 2012 and it is regularly reviewed by its constituent organizations. The plan makes arrangements and provides information for multi-agency response to flooding incidents, aiming to: (i) provide a framework for the coordination of a multi-agency response to flooding events in the LLR LRF area; and (ii) link and coordinate Local Authority, Community Flood Plans and individual agencies operational plans relating to flooding. According to the CCA 2004, the local responders in the MAFP are divided into two categories, with a different set of duties on each. Those in Category One are organisations at the core of the response to flood emergencies (e.g. local authorities and emergency services).The LLR LRF recognizes that the successful implementation of MAFP requires the key operational and stakeholder organizations (e.g. Fire & Rescue, A&E and water companies) to provide efficient and non-disruptive services collectively. This, to a large extent, depends on the functioning of critical infrastructure nodes and networks. The LLR LRF seeks to understand how robust, the MAFP is in terms of its dependency on the critical infrastructure in a changing climate. In addition, its core organizations (e.g. Leicester City Council, Leicestershire Fire & Rescue Service) are keen to understand the robustness of their specific organizational plans, including the Local Authority Plan and Emergency Services Plan. For example, if a designated shelter/reception centre is at risk of flooding, it may have a cascading effect on the way that evacuation and rescue operations are carried out. Similarly, a damaged electricity substation may affect the functioning of infrastructure services that effective emergency response replies upon. In particular, a flooded transport system may render the planned routes to rescue inaccessible, thus affecting the existing evacuation/rescue plan of the emergency services (e.g. Fire & Rescue; A&E). This project brings together a group of interdisciplinary researchers in three schools in Loughborough University, including Geography, Civil & Building Engineering, and Business & Economics, with expertise in flood risk management, climate change adaptation, emergency planning, transport response to weather conditions and resilience to flood risks, to work with the key Category 1 responders in Leicester (City Council, Fire and Rescue Service and the Environment Agency) on this issue, liaised through the Local Resilience Forum for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. The project will consider two types of interlinked infrastructure that are directly related to the implementation of emergency planning and response, including: (i) those functioning as operational nodes & networks, where decisions will be made, rescue will be launched and reallocation will be based; and (ii) essential utility & supporting infrastructure located in flood zones for operational reasons. Key deliverables include: 1) An assessment of the individual and networked impact of infrastructure failures.2) A list of recommendations in the form of adaptation measures and contingency plans to the Leicester Resilience Forum's Multi-agency Flood Plan, the Leicester Fire & Rescue Service's flood response plan, and the A&E Service (through the Council).3) Generic recommendations to flood emergency planning and response that can be readily adopted by decision makers beyond the Leicester City.