Currently there is no set pattern within the UK for relationships between emergency planning communities and the BBC.

Usually, the response during an emergency is instinctive rather than prepared. It relies on normal day-to-day arrangements with information providers that are rarely robust enough to cope in a crisis.

An area's Emergency Plan normally includes a media section, but it rarely amounts to a comprehensive strategy. Often it is little more than a list of phone numbers and has no mechanism for updates.

However, there are examples around the UK of innovative initiatives between emergency planners and broadcasters. These could point the way towards the kind of meticulous planning that 'Connecting in a Crisis' suggests could be the norm.

• Aberdeenshire Council pioneered the use of a central computerised log for school closures, to which the BBC has access. Other councils have followed suit - some, such as Fife and Dumfries and Galloway have introduced automatic emailing of closures to BBC newsrooms, so that parents and teachers can rely on comprehensive, constantly-updated lists being read out on relevant bulletins.
• The Cleveland Protocol aims to provide an information and advice service to the public during an incident resulting from chemical manufacturing in that area. It embraces 40 companies and covers transport, blending and storage of chemicals, and local power stations. It provides a colour-coded system of graded alerts, which is designed specifically for the chemical industries, although its principles could be applied to other scenarios.
• In the Highlands, where winter road closures can have a devastating effect, there are close links between the BBC, Highland Council, BEAR Scotland (who maintain the roads) and the Northern Constabulary, so that accurate and up-to-date information on driving conditions and closures can be communicated as quickly and effectively as possible.