Isle of Man Civil Defence Corps
| Isle of Man Civil Defence Corps | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | 1949-present |
| Country | Isle of Man |
| Type | Civil Defence Corps |
| Size | 50+ personnel |
| Part of | Department of Home Affairs |
| Garrison/HQ | EPU & CDC HQ, Douglas |
| Colours | Blue and orange |
| Commanders | |
| Emergency Planning Co-ordinator | Ian Young |
| Commandant | Tony Glen |
| Minister of the Dept of Home Affairs | The Hon Juan Watterson MHK |
| Insignia | |
| Civil Defence Corps badge |  |
| Ensign |  |
| Tactical Recognition Flash |  |
The Isle of Man Civil Defence Corps is one of the five emergency services maintained by the Isle of Man Government, to provide a range of emergency responses on the Isle of Man, an independent Crown dependency located in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland. The Corps operates under the Department of Home Affairs.
The Civil Defence Corps was founded in 1949 by the United Kingdom Government, and operated throughout England, Scotland, and Wales, as well as on the Isle of Man. Its primary purpose was to co-ordinate civil defence in the event of a nuclear attack during the Cold War period. It was largely disbanded in 1968 (although some specialist units lasted longer in connection with special duties). The Isle of Man is not part of the United Kingdom, and in 1968 the Isle of Man Government decided not to disband its Division of the Civil Defence Corps, and it has continued to operate ever since, as the IOM Civil Defence Corps. Similar organisations continue to operate in New Zealand, Iceland, Eire, and Australia.
In 2012 28 volunteers of the Civil Defence Corps were awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal from Home Affairs Minister Juan Watterson MHK. There was also a special presentation to two stalwarts of the organisation, Stewart Kermeen and Mike Dobson, who had both completed 27 years of service, joining Martin Blackburn and Norman McBride as the Island's other recipients of this rare award. They were awarded the clasp to the Civil Defence Long Service Medal in recognition of their outstanding commitment to the Island’s ‘fifth emergency service.’
The Minister of Home Affairs is the senior elected politician responsible for the Department which controls the Civil Defence Corps. The senior manager is the IOM Emergency Planning Co-ordinator. The person holding this appointment is the head of the island's Emergency Planning Unit (EPU), which is an executive organisation under Government control, providing emergency planning solutions to both Government and the private sector. The Emergency Planning Co-ordinator is essentially a civil servant, but he is a uniformed officer, with rank markings which resemble those of a Police Commander, and the Civil Defence Corps cap badge on his headdress. The Civil Defence Corps as an operational unit, under the supervision of the Emergency Planning Co-ordinator, is headed by a Commandant. The members are divided into five teams, each headed by a Team Leader and a Deputy Team Leader.
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