1.1 A good Disaster Management Plan (DMP) needs to cover pro-active preventative actions as well as re-active responses. It is important that Operators have an up to date and comprehensive plan which is tailored to the individual company’s requirements and facilities. Chief Pilots should ensure that it is disseminated to the right people.

2. Aim:

2.1 The aim of this paper is to provide Operators with a template DMP to tailor to their requirements in conjunction with Chapter 7 of the Company Operations Manual.

3. Definitions:

3.1 A major incident is any emergency that requires the implementation of special arrangements by one or all of the emergency services. These arrangements comprise:

a. The rescue and transport of a large number of casualties;

and/or

b. The involvement either directly or indirectly of large numbers of people;

and/or

c. The handling of a large number of enquiries likely to be generated both from the public and the news media usually to the police;

and/or

d. Any incident that requires the large scale combined resources of the three emergency services;

and/or

e. The mobilisation and organisation of the emergency services and supporting organisations, e.g., Local Authority, to cater for the threat of death, serious injury or homelessness to a large number of people.

3.2 Regardless of actual fatalities/injuries resulting from a balloon accident paragraph (3.1) above suggests that any accident involving a public transport balloon should be treated by the Company as a major incident until the police decide otherwise. The DMP is written accordingly.

4.1 The key to any successful organisation is good communications. If a phone is not constantly manned at the office during flying operations then a pager should be carried by the Office Coordinator and a suitable code be used to alert them of a major incident. The Office Coordinator should then recall personnel as required in para 4.2.2 below.

It is recommended that an additional code be used to inform them of an incident-free or cancelled flight to comply with Chapter 7 para 41.2 of the Operations Manual.

4.2 Post Crash Management Coordination:

4.2.1 In the event of a major incident the Company’s office will become the Operator’s Post Crash Management (PCM) coordination centre.

4.2.2 Telephones should be manned by individuals suitably familiar with the Company’s operations. If the pilot is also the owner of the business and has been injured then it is impracticable for the injured person’s wife/partner to be expected to open up and man the office. Two responsible people who would not be part of the retrieve crew should therefore be prepared to cope with the immediate aftermath on behalf of the company. Consider a reciprocal "Buddy" arrangement with fellow local commercial operators/balloonists as such persons have a natural understanding of the problems involved.

In the event of a major incident it is in everyone’s interest that the aftermath is dealt with professionally and competently as any adverse publicity will affect the entire industry.

A check list and a copy of the passenger manifest need readily to be available in the office.

4.2.3 Once activated, the PCM organisation should inform the police control room of their contact number and obtain the emergency number for the police information room.

They should comply with the procedure detailed in Chapter 7 para 41 (Accident Procedure) of the Operations and maintain a diary of significant events.

4.2.4 The office should expect to receive calls from:

a. The media

b. Concerned friends and relatives of passengers on the flight.

c. Concerned friends and relatives of passengers booked with the company but not on that particular flight.

d. Interested/concerned members of the general public.

Establish who is calling and why before making any comment whatsoever.

4.2.5 Dealing with The Media:

DO NOT:

a. Give off the record briefings

b. Release information about the pilot, crew or passengers

c. Speculate about the accident.

d. Be rude

e. Lie

f. Give press radio or TV interviews

DO

a. Be polite.

b. Have a pre-prepared written statement expressing the company’s distress, confirming that there has been an incident and that the A&E Services are in attendance and referring them to the police incident room for further information. (Assistance in compiling statements may be obtained from local police A&E press liaison officers.)

4.2.6 The BBAC and BABO have specialists trained in speaking to the media. These should be informed so that they can deal with general non-specific enquiries that a major incident will produce throughout the industry.

Contact numbers for these specialist are:

Graeme Clarke 01905 360193

Tony Pinner 01604 761500

Wyn Morgan 01792 899333

Ian Ashpole 01989 763134

4.2.7 Dealing with concerned friends and relatives of passengers on the flight :

a. Refer the caller to the police incident control room number.

4.2.8 Dealing with concerned friends and relatives of passengers booked with the company but not on that particular flight:

a. These persons can be assured that their friends/relatives are not involved.

5.1 It is essential that the police be informed immediately. Ensure that the correct phone number for the Force Control Room is readily available.

The police have primacy at all crash sites. It is a crime scene.

If the crash involves a fatality the police have a legal responsibility to the Coroner’s office for total control of the site, no matter where it is, until all of the bodies have been located and removed.

5.1.1 The primary areas of police responsibility may be summarised as follows:

a. Co-ordination of the emergency services and other subsidiary organisations;

b. The protection and preservation of the scene;

c. The saving of life in conjunction with the other emergency services;

d. The investigation of the incident, in conjunction with other investigative bodies where applicable;

e. The collation and dissemination of casualty information;

f. Identification of victims on behalf of the Coroner who is the principal investigator when fatalities are involved;

g. The restoration of normality at the earliest opportunity

5.2 If the balloon pilot is at all incapacitated then the first company representative (normally retrieve crew) on the scene must assume responsibility as the Company On Scene Incident Officer (COSIO). A check list of actions should be carried in the retrieve vehicle.

5.2.1 Immediate Actions by COSIO:

a. The COSIO should not initially become involved in rescue efforts. This person’s primary role is to determine the size, scope and nature of the emergency and convey this information to the police. It is appreciated that there may be considerable pressure on this person to commence rescue and other operations. It is, however, more important that the scale of the incident be correctly assessed and as much information as possible conveyed back to ensure that the correct level of response can be initiated.

b. The police service mnemonic C.H.A.L.E.T. for the type of information required from the first officers to attend the scene of a major incident should be used:

C - Casualties, approximate number

H - Hazards present and potential, i.e. fuel spillage, power lines etc.

A - Access, best route to approach the scene

L - Location of incident, grid ref if possible

E - Emergency Services, present and required

T - Type of incident.

c. The COSIO must also activate the Office PCM organisation (para 4.1 above.).

5.3 On Scene Incident Management:

In the initial stages of a major incident the Emergency Services are likely to be confronted with a scene of confusion and uncoordinated activity. It is essential to establish control over the immediate area of the incident and anyone who is assisting with rescue work. To this end the COSIO must remain at the scene and liaise with the police incident controller on his arrival. The police should be provided with the passenger manifest (separate from the tech log) which must contain details of names, initials, sex and home telephone number of all passengers.

5.3.1 Control of passengers, friends and relatives.

a. No injured persons should be transported to hospital either by retrieve crew or relatives/friends but should be made as comfortable as possible until the arrival of the A&E Services.

If relatives are present it is possible that they will insist on taking injured passengers straight to hospital. The crew may be unable to prevent this.

If this is the case then the COSIO must keep a record of

i. Injured person

ii. Driver’s name and contact number

iii. Vehicle registration

iv. Destination

This information must be passed to the police controller on arrival.

A list of all the local A&E units should be carried in the retrieve vehicle. Relatives may not be local and could end up driving far further than necessary.

b. Every effort must be made to keep passenger’s friends and relatives together and not let them wander off. If the standard flight itinerary includes returning/directing your passengers back to the original meeting place to rejoin their friends/relatives then this is a logical holding place. A police liaison officer should accompany any staff member. The police will keep them together as they may be needed to identify bodies.

5.3.2 Dealing with the Media at the incident scene:

a. See para 4.2.5 above.

b. Ask for cooperation in keeping the unsafe/evidence zone clear on the basis of safety and accident investigation.

c. The COSIO should consult with the A&E services about establishing a press briefing area.

d. No action is to be taken forcibly to evict media representatives or confiscate press equipment

6.1 Entry onto land without permission may constitute a trespass. In an emergency, or when it is impracticable to obtain permission beforehand, every effort must be made to contact the owner or occupier of the land as soon as practicable thereafter. Also, as compensation may be payable for any damage caused, entry and other acts on the land should be carried out in a manner that causes minimum damage.

6.2 Personnel are not to give any undertaking whatsoever regarding the payment of compensation as a condition of entering or crossing private land, nor are they to say anything that might be construed as committing the Company in any way to such payments

7.1 As soon as practicable all Company personnel involved should write down their recollection of all events associated with the incident to assist in post accident investigation.

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