Opened in August 2011, the Aberdeen Response Centre is a purpose-built suite of rooms for hire by oil & gas companies for responding to major emergencies, either as back-up to their own emergency response facilities or as their ‘primary’ site.

The suite of rooms comprises: Emergency Response Room (ERR) can seat up to 14 people and is equipped with wallboards and projector (Event Log), telephones, PCs with internet access and email, fax machines, copier and shredder. Each company hiring the facility can store their own emergency-specific documentation in the cupboards provided including ERPs, Safety Cases, OPEPs, telephone directory, etc.

Media Response Room can seat up to 4 responders and is equipped with telephones organised in a ‘hunt group’.

Relatives Response Room can seat up to 6 responders and is equipped with telephones organised in a ‘hunt group’ and a documentation filing system.

Contractor Liaison Room can seat up to 4 contractor representatives and is equipped with telephones and there is fax/scanner/copier/printer immediately outside the room.

Break-out Room comprising a kitchen (kettle, microwave, etc) with tub chairs and soft furnishings.

In addition, there is a large room with seating for up to 16 people which can be used by the Company’s Crisis Management Team or, in the event of a major oil spill, can be used as the Operations Control Unit to accommodate the SoSRep and representatives from DECC, MCA and environmental agencies. The room is equipped with up to 6 telephones, PC and projector (which can be linked to the ERR Event Log), access to fax.

At the rear of the building, there is private parking for up to 10 cars, and there are several late-night convenience stores and take-aways nearby.

In addition to the ARC, a back-up emergency response facility is also available in the unlikely event of two companies suffering an emergency at the same time. This smaller facility, a 10 minute walk from the ARC, comprises an ERR and two rooms for media and relatives response, all equipped with telephones, PCs with internet and email access, fax and copier.