The CCU operates a 24 hour Duty Officer Call-out Scheme which ensures a 24/7 contact is available in order to access local authority resources to support and help co-ordinate the emergency services, utilities, the voluntary agencies and other organizations in preventing, mitigating and recovering from the effects of an emergency on the public, the environment and on security in County Durham and Darlington.  The local authority assistance required can vary significantly depending upon the exact nature of an emergency.  In recent years, the Duty Officer Call-out Scheme has been activated to respond to many different types of emergency including:

• Evacuation
• Flooding (both prolonged, large scale as well as localised)
• Animal diseases
• Chemical releases
• National fuel shortages
• Terrorist alerts