Category 1 responder

Section 3(4) of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 says that a person or body listed in Part 1, 2 or 2A of Schedule 1 "may be referred to as a Category 1 responder". Part 1 is the general list, Part 2 the Scottish list and Part 2A the Welsh list.

The general list in Part 1 covers local authorities (county, district and London borough councils, the Common Council of the City of London, the Council of the Isles of Scilly and the Greater London Authority), chief officers of police, the British Transport Police, fire and rescue authorities in England, NHS England, integrated care boards, NHS foundation trusts providing ambulance or accident and emergency services, port health authorities in England, the Environment Agency, and the Secretary of State in respect of maritime and coastal emergencies and certain health functions.

Section 2 places the duties on these bodies: to assess the risk of an emergency, to maintain plans, to publish parts of those assessments and plans, and to maintain arrangements to warn the public and give it information and advice. Gov.uk guidance describes Category 1 responders as the organisations "at the core of the response to most emergencies" and says they are "subject to the full set of civil protection duties".