East of England Regional Local Resilience Forums Category 2 Responder Engagement Event

The Suffolk Resilience Forum (SRF) proudly hosted the East of England Category 2 Responder Engagement Day in Ipswich, bringing together key stakeholders from the water, gas, and electricity sectors.

This energy-focused event welcomed Category 2 responders from across the region, alongside representatives from Category 1 responder agencies—including fire, police, ambulance services, NHS, Environment Agency, HM Coastguard, UKHSA, and local authorities—as well as other Category 2 organisations such as the Met Office and rail companies. Members of Local Resilience Forum (LRF) secretariat teams and the Voluntary and Community Sector Emergencies Partnership also participated.

The day served as a vital platform for information sharing, enabling energy sector partners to showcase their procedures, outline expectations for collaboration during major incidents, and strengthen relationships with LRFs beyond crisis situations.

A key outcome of the event was the launch of the East of England Category 2 LRF Forum, which will facilitate regular engagement days moving forward—creating more opportunities for networking, knowledge exchange, and partnership building.

Feedback from attendees highlighted the value of the event:

“…Drawing on lessons from previous incidents, we [Category 1 agencies] recognise that Category 2 partners play a vital role in the effective management of major incidents. By building strong relationships with these responders in advance, we can enhance coordination, improve information sharing, and ultimately increase the overall effectiveness of our response.”
— Category 1 responder

“Great networking and better understanding of other utilities’ issues.”
— Category 2 responder

“Networking was the key benefit for me. Particularly, with other LRFs.”
— Category 1 responder

A huge well done to the SRF team for organising a well-attended and impactful event.
— Becky Heginbotham-Blount, Temporary Chief Resilience Officer, Suffolk