
Colleagues who developed a successful national power outage (NPO) strategy have picked up a 2025 ALARM Risk Award.
North Ayrshire Council won the Resilience Award category, which recognises innovative approaches to improving resilience, including initiatives to respond to and recover from incidents.
Donna Morrison, Community Resources Team Manager within Connected Communities, and Alex Fitzharris, Team Manager for Risk, worked together to create the strategy with the support of their teams.
The project was later shared with a range of range services to enhance and test the model.
The NPO planning initiative was developed to enhance community resilience against extended power disruptions.
The approach included risk assessment, community engagement, implementation of a hub model and investment in resilience infrastructure.
Stakeholder collaboration validated the plan and ensured efficient resource distribution.
The initiative’s effectiveness was demonstrated during the Storm Eowyn response, showcasing improved ability to maintain essential services and community wellbeing during outages. This proactive approach was informed by Covid-19 lessons and major weather events.
Alex said: “We are honoured to receive this award in the Resilience category. What began as a basic concept, to empower volunteers and strengthen community support, has been realised as a robust National Power Outage Resilience Plan.
“Through partnership with our community centre volunteers, we have built a model that reaches and prioritises our most vulnerable communities.
“This has been a fulfilling project, reflecting the dedication and commitment of everyone involved.”
Part of the work was Exercise Gridlock – a day-long training exercise, which ran in October last year and involved Council staff from a wide range of services, including Customer Services, the Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP), Corporate Communications, Building Services, Connected Communities, Streetscene and Transport.
The training day used various sites in Irvine, including Marress House and Towerlands Community Centre.
On the day, the scenario was that an unusually low wind level for the UK could – and did – lead to an outage. The objective of the exercise was to ensure that in the event of a real-life widespread power outage that we would be able to keep residents safe and well, and services running where possible.
Donna commented:” The value of our investment was clearly demonstrated during Storm Eowyn, when we successfully deployed the plan and provided vital support where it was needed most.
“This recognition highlights the power of true collaboration between council and community.
“We look forward to continuing to test, learn from each experience and further improve the plan in the months and years ahead, ensuring we are prepared for any forthcoming emergency power outages or similar challenges”.
Jane Cooper, ALARM President, added: “It is wonderful for this year’s winners to be recognised for the amazing work they do in such challenging times.
“All our entrants have demonstrated the challenges they face and are to be congratulated on how they are navigating times of change and transformation.
“The innovative approaches our award winners have demonstrated on managing these times through innovative approaches being taken to manage risk is to be commended.”
“Donna and I would like to thank all colleagues across the council who worked hard to help ensure this project was a success. We would also like to acknowledge the support and budget investment from leadership.”– Alex Fitzharris, Team Manager for Risk