Civil Defence Duties and Responsibilities
This domain tests the specific duties of Civil Defence personnel before, during and after an emergency. Questions often ask what a warden does first, which service handles a task, and what a volunteer must not do.
Warden duties
- Know the ward: population, vulnerable people, shelters, roads, water points and hazardous sites.
- Maintain volunteer lists, maps and equipment checks; attend drills.
- On warning, alert residents, guide evacuation, enforce blackout, report damage and keep a message log.
- Assist police and fire services, but do not take over their legal powers.
Service duties
Rescue: search, shoring, debris removal and extraction. First aid: triage, care and ambulance loading. Fire: fire watching, extinguishing small fires and clearing access. Communication: runners or radio with accurate messages. Depot: stores and issue. Welfare: shelter, food, clothing and missing-person lists. Salvage: protect property from water and loot.
Worked example
An air-raid siren sounds in a ward. The warden's first sequence is: confirm the alert through the control room, warn residents, direct them to the nearest shelter, check that lights are off, then report the ward status. Fighting a large fire is not the warden's first task; that belongs to the fire service.
Traps
Do not write that the warden controls the fire brigade or that Civil Defence takes over police duties. Do not send untrained volunteers into collapsed buildings. Never spread rumours; all messages go through the control room. Duties are to assist, guide, report and record.
Discipline and records
A volunteer must wear identification, follow the incident commander, keep equipment ready and hand over accurate records. Welfare duties include helping separated families and vulnerable people, not only distributing relief.