KENT'S Chief Constable Mike Fuller, who chairs the group that coordinates emergency planning in the county, has praised the agencies involved for their rapid and effective response to Saturday’s earthquake in Folkestone.

Mr Fuller now plans to hold a debrief session for the agencies involved once the initial clear-up phase is complete.

The aim is to identify what worked well and where lessons can be learned.

Comprehensive and well-tested plans ensured that emergency services and other organisations were ready to swing quickly into action to deal with the aftermath of the tremor, which measured 4.3 on the Richter scale and left more than 1,300 properties damaged.

Mr Fuller chairs Kent Resilience Forum, which brings together chief officers and chief executives from the blue light services, local government and other key organisations serving the county, to ensure that arrangements are in place to deal with any type of major incident or emergency in Kent and Medway.

When the scale of Saturday’s incident became apparent, senior officers from Kent Police, Kent Fire and Rescue Service, South East Coast Ambulance Service, Kent County Council, and the Army established a strategic coordination, or ‘Gold’, group at Kent Police headquarters in Maidstone.

A similar group was also set up in Folkestone, also involving Shepway council and power company representatives, to assess the situation there, report back to the strategic group and coordinate response in the town.

Mr Fuller said: "What happened on Saturday demonstrated how important it is for us all to plan and work together. Thanks to our tried, tested and well-exercised plans there was highly effective coordination and cooperation between the agencies involved.

"This continues, as I saw when I visited the area on Monday. Kent Fire and Rescue Service crews are still working to make damaged buildings safe. Shepway District Council is doing a superb job of checking building damage to ensure residents are not at risk.

"To date the council has received more than 2,000 calls, identifying 1,300 damaged properties. Eighteen building inspectors and surveyors, from Shepway and other councils across Kent, have been working their way through these.

"At the time I visited, around 40 properties were still unfit for people to return to and five families who could not make other arrangements were found temporary accommodation. I understand that the most severely damaged buildings are now expected to be made safe shortly."

He added: "Over the weekend the Salvation Army, working with Shepway Council officers, National Health Service professionals and Kent Social Services, established an emergency centre, looking after people who could not, at that stage, return to their homes.

"This invaluable service is essential in many kinds of emergency and I know how grateful people in Folkestone were to these agencies.

"Kent County Council highways officers and emergency planning specialists are also involved in dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake.

"All these agencies have worked effectively and professionally together to help restore normality for local people, clearly demonstrating the value of the joint work to plan for emergencies.

‘As Chief Constable I am, of course, proud of the response of my own officers and staff from Kent Police, who were also highly professional in the way they offered help to people who were clearly very frightened and in their work with other agencies.

"As soon as the initial needs are dealt with I plan to hold a debrief session with all the agencies involved, so we can look at what worked well and learn where, perhaps, we need to do things differently.

"On the whole, though, I am pleased at how well our plans worked – something borne out by the positive feedback we have already received from the public."