Emergency Planning and Local Community Resilience: Why Silence isn’t Good Enough
Speaking at the Disaster Recovery Institute International Conference (USA, February 2025), where I presented on UK rail emergency planning to an audience of global resilience professionals - now I want to bring that same focus home to our community.
Every organisation has to make choices about who it hires. But when it comes to protecting almost half a million people in North Northamptonshire, we should be aiming for the best — not just the most convenient.
Resilience isn’t about ticking boxes or filing away plans. It’s about leadership, transparency, and the will to prepare for what we all hope never happens. That trust can't grow in silence — but too often, silence is exactly what we get.
Earlier today, Sky News reported on warnings to the UK government that it is “setting the country up for disaster” unless it better prepares for growing threats like extreme flooding and intense heat.
If our national leaders are struggling to take these risks seriously — even with all their resources, advisers, and warnings — what hope do we have that local party candidates, tied to the same systems and leaders, are truly prioritising resilience?
Before I ever stood for election, I offered my professional support to our local emergency planning efforts. I’ve worked with Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) across the country, and I’ve served on emergency planning teams in Toronto and Montreal during crises like COVID. I know this space. I know the stakes.
But here in North Northamptonshire? No reply.
And during the campaign, as someone offering to serve my community and see how councilors can better support these efforts? Still no reply.
At the same time, I watched a new Head of Emergency Planning role posted and advertised as an internal-only process — for a role responsible for the safety and preparedness of nearly half a million residents. There was no public job advert, no public announcement, and today, no clear information on who holds the role or how the team is structured.
We should ask:
Are we building the best teams to protect us — or just the most convenient ones?
If elected, I will advocate for:
Greater transparency in how we prepare for emergencies
Clearer engagement between the Local Resilience Forum and our communities
And fight for open, fair recruitment that invites the best talent — not just the closest
Because resilience should not be hidden behind a door. It should be something we can see, understand, and trust.
Real leadership shows up before disaster strikes.
And our communities deserve better than slogans — they deserve service, answers, and serious commitment.
Screenshot from North Northamptonshire Council careers page — the key emergency planning role was open to internal applicants only.
