What is an emergency?

Emergencies can happen at any time and often with very little or no notice. When they do happen, the emergency services, Birmingham City Council and a number of other agencies work together to save lives and to look after the welfare of people in affected communities.

An emergency can be difficult to define as what one person may consider an emergency, another may not. Emergencies are usually events that cannot be dealt with under normal working arrangements, requiring a co-ordinated and cohesive response.