How prepared is your business for the next crisis?

Senior security professional Ian Pugh asks: How prepared is your business, how prepared are your teams and are you doing enough to mitigate risk and prepare your teams for that next crisis?

We have probably all heard the saying “Fail to Prepare, Prepare to Fail”, and I want to say from the outset that I don’t profess to be an expert in Crisis Management. I also don’t claim to have been involved in or to have had to manage as many crisis situations as many readers – who so tragically may have – but I am passionate about the subject and, having worked on the front line in a security role, I know how important training is and can be when faced with a crisis situation.

My first experience: Manchester city centre 15th June 1996

My first experience of being involved in a crisis situation was working as a junior security manager responsible for a large national contract for a leading manned guarding company. Arriving in Manchester city centre to visit my officers, I suddenly saw and heard the chaos following the detonation of a 3,300lb IRA lorry bomb – the largest detonated in Great Britain since the Second World War.

My initial reaction was shock, followed by concern for my team, followed by “What can I do?”. In the immediate aftermath and subsequent hours, we worked as a team to ensure everyone was safe and accounted for. This involved evacuating a large number of my client’s buildings in the city centre and getting the team of officers to safety whilst keeping the senior management team and client updated.

We were lucky and, whilst my thoughts go out to all those people affected by this atrocity and the businesses who had to rebuild, it could have been so much worse.

Present day changes

We did a good job back in 1996, in managing the aftermath of the incident, but that was 25 years ago and things have moved on. The world is a different place, with different challenges and a more stringent regulatory, enforcement and public enquiry-focused society.

Here, I highlight four areas of change, pertinent to crisis management, which have an ongoing impact on security and management professionals.

Regulations/Laws

There are more regulations and laws in place now, which impose upon senior management teams a clear duty of care for their staff’s health, safety and wellbeing.

Private Security Act 2001

The security industry is now regulated by the Security Industry Authority (SIA). Certain legal requirements are in place now, such as mandatory training for those who wish to operate a security company and deploy security officers under contract.

Public enquiries

There are more public enquiries now, which examine the aftermath of major incidents and look at the measures organisations and senior managers have put in place to mitigate risk through training and procedural support, which could have prevented the incident taking place and supported the teams on the ground. An example is the Manchester Arena Enquiry, currently in the final stages of investigating the deaths of the victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena terrorist attack.

The Protect Duty

The planned introduction of the Protect Duty legislation, which seeks to impose a legal obligation on organisations to consider the safety and security of their staff and the public who use their facilities.

Why am I so passionate about the subject?

I began my security career as a security officer for a very large security company working on multiple client sites and dealing with incidents as part of the role. I understood then what support I needed and how training and procedural advice would help me.

My career has taken me through various operational roles, as per my role in 1996 to senior operational strategic roles as Group Head of Security for two large organisations. The latter was the largest shopping centre owner in the UK, intu, until its sad demise in 2020 due to company administration.

In my role at intu I was, for the first time, able to really set the security strategy for the organisation – and with great support from the senior directors and group board, we introduced crisis management and major incident management training into our shopping centre-based teams at all levels to support our teams on the ground.

This strategy delivered training which moved away from traditional table-top exercises and actually tested our teams against the procedures they were operating to, in realistic settings.

Live scenarios tested their reactions and their decision making and placed them under an element of pressure to manage the crisis and bring the incident to a conclusion.

The introduction of duty management assessments ensured that those responsible for managing an incident were prepared for that responsibility and trained against the procedures to support their teams in the decision-making process and to liaise and work with the emergency services.

Supporting those dealing with crises

Senior leaders may read this article and say “We have been dealing with a crisis since February 2020 with the pandemic, so what training do my teams now need? We have managed well, our business is fully open and things are finally looking positive for the coming months.”

In part, that would be correct. Businesses have managed an extremely difficult situation well in general, but that has come at a cost. Financially, there are more constraints on business in a lot of sectors.

Businesses have had to make difficult decisions and headcounts have been reduced, with people losing their livelihoods, budgets being slashed and cost cutting in place – with training more than likely being an area of cost reduction. However, the threats have not gone away. Teams will still need to be supported and prepared to manage crises.

The governance structure in place around accountability and evidencing what, as an organisation, you have done to mitigate risk is still very prevalent.

Post-pandemic –  are you prepared?

So, the question that organisations should be asking themselves post-pandemic is “How prepared is your business, how prepared are your teams and are you doing enough to mitigate risk and prepare your teams for that next crisis?”.

• It will happen, unfortunately, and it will be instant – without government briefings or advice telling you what to do.
• It will lead to disruption to your business and, if significant enough, could lead to injury and death.
• It will have an effect on your brand and could affect your reputation.
• It could see senior directors in an enquiry answering questions about decisions they took or failed to take.

So, how important is that bigger Christmas tree in retail this year? How important is a management away day? How important is a glossy new brochure telling everybody what a great company you are?

I would say they all have a role to play and are important, but if it is at the cost of supporting your teams in being prepared to manage crises, and testing teams and first-line management response against your procedures, then I would say, in the big scheme of things, a big Christmas tree won’t help in an enquiry, a management away day won’t evidence support to your teams and a glossy company brochure may well not be read.

We see the support that organisations provide for their employees around a number of very important aspects of working in today’s society, across small and large businesses and in complex work environments. That support is weakened if employees don’t have the tools to do their jobs and are not prepared to face challenges that may well arise in their roles.

To all the front-line employees who face the risk of dealing with crisis situations every day, you have my total respect!

Ian Pugh

Non-Executive Director

Kiasu Group

www.kiasugroup.co.uk

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We interviewed David Bulbrook, Borough Commander in the London Fire Brigade responsible for the City of London, to learn more about today’s fire and rescue service and how business can prepare for emergencies.

In a business or corporate setting, fire prevention and security often go hand in hand, both in terms of roles and responsibilities and risk planning.

David Bulbrook is the Borough Commander for the London Fire Brigade in the City of London, responsible for operational response and a raft of other local and national initiatives to keep people, buildings and critical national infrastructure safe.

The City of London is where more than 500,000 people are employed and their safety is very much at the heart of much of the building development going on there. David comments, “These building are built to an incredibly high specification and there is a lot put in place to protect people from fire that is largely invisible. For every building there is a fire strategy and provided the building is properly built, operated and maintained, this will be effective.”

The fire service makes it clear that when responding to an incident, they are equal partners with those people responding at the location. David Bulbrook says, “They have all the information about hazards, access routes and how the building works.” So how can you be best prepared to work in partnership with the fire service should an incident occur?

Sharing Operational Information

A key task for the local fire service is to gather operational information for the major locations in the area they are responsible for and the hazards that firefighters may face. Representatives from those locations will be required to share this essential information when firefighters visit: “They assess the firefighting facilities, nearest water supplies, and the operational tactics we will use at that location.” This information is held on a central database accessible by all fire stations in London and a mobile terminal installed in each fire engine and is available to Incident Commanders on the way to an incident.

Identify your Responsible Person

An important first step for businesses to prepare to respond to any emergency incident is to identify the Responsible Person. David explains, “When the emergency services arrive, this person should be able to explain what’s gone wrong, where the incident is, why has it occurred and whether there are people involved. Provide the best information you can on what’s happened, the what, where, why, how. If the fire brigade is involved in any meaningful way, we bring in a command unit, and invite the Responsible Person to join us to help manage the risks associated with the building, look to business continuity and support the mitigation of the incident.”

Irrespective of the size of your business, identifying the individual to take on this role is key. “If you run a corner shop and can say ‘I don’t have cylinders in here, everyone’s evacuated and the fire started in the kitchen’, this would be a great example of someone who can clearly communicate with us as soon we get there.”

Understanding how the blue light services work together

The fire and rescue service works very closely with other emergency responders. The London Emergency Liaison Panel (LESLP) manual fully explains how the emergency services respond. “This a very useful document, providing helpful guidance. It provides plans for the London blue lights and businesses can tailor their plans to marry into that.”

For non-standard, non-conventional incidents, like some recent terrorist incidents, the fire service trains alongside specialist police units, military and other partners. “For example, we can help evacuation to a place of safety and support the ambulance service with immediate first aid. A Command Centre is established with the senior police officer, the incident commander for fire and ambulance, and between us we deploy our resources.”

Clear Communication about evacuation

David believes the clear communication about evacuation measures is critical. Are all staff aware of the different alarm signals and messages that may be used and that this may vary from floor to floor? Additionally, “Some types of emergency require evacuation; are staff aware of differences and how they will be communicated?” It is particularly important when organisations occupy new premises to develop this awareness quickly.

Develop Business Continuity and Emergency Plans

Returning business to normal is important, especially in the City of London and the fire service understands that: “We want to impact as little as possible in terms of dealing with incident. We want to make sure at the earliest stage, that we scale down and support companies with their emergency plans.”

Every business has responsibility to develop its own business continuity and emergency plans. If you need support, you can get in touch with your local fire and rescue service, but principally it is the responsibility of the business or organisation.

David concludes, “The two most important assets of any business are its people and buildings. It is essential that companies employ high standards of safety and security to keep their people safe. We are there to support these efforts and when people call for help, we respond.”

Andrea Berkoff

See also:

Fire safety for business

The best protection against fire: sprinkler systems

The post David Bulbrook: London Fire Brigade: City of London appeared first on City Security Magazine.

The Risks for Cities

People concentrate in cities because of the opportunities offered by economies of scale and access to increasingly wide, global networks. This concentration of people and opportunity acts as a focus for risk – a disruptive event can have a greater impact in a city than elsewhere. Economic, political and population changes mean that cities face a range of challenges if they are to be places in which to live and work.

Climate change means that some shocks like heatwave or surface water flooding will be more frequent and have greater impact. If cities are to survive and thrive they must manage and adapt to these changes – they need to be resilient.

London has a 2000 year history which shows its ability to survive, prosper and see opportunity in the face of adversity. But past resilience is not an indicator of future prosperity. The city has arrangements in place to rise to the challenges of the 21st century whether these arise from acute shocks like a storm or terrorist attack or long term stresses as a result of social change.

The London Resilience Partnership

The London Resilience Partnership is a coalition of agencies with a shared interest, driven by the arrangements of the Civil Contingencies Act. Members are drawn from the private and public sector and include organisations ranging from the emergency services, local authorities and the NHS to utility and transport providers. In all there are some 175 separate organisations in the partnership.

The partnership defines resilience as an enabler which helps London to survive and prosper. It is demonstrated by the ability of institutions and communities to work together to prevent, handle then recover and learn from disruption then adapt to change.

The partnership works together to:

• Assess risks to London’s resilience
• Enhance London’s resilience through prevention and adaptation
• Prepare, respond, recover and learn from exercises and emergencies
• Help Londoners to be prepared. The London Resilience Group (LRG)

London Resilience Group (LRG) is the centre of excellence which draws the work of the partnership together. The group is hosted by London Fire Brigade and is funded by the Mayor of London and London’s local authorities. It  has a secretariat function, managing contact lists and supporting the various coordinating bodies like the London Resilience Forum. But much of its work is focussed on risk assessment, the development of capabilities and  supporting a response during an emergency.

The partnership has a range of capabilities (many of which are on our website). A capability includes supporting documents, training and an assessment process. Each capability has a lead agency responsible for its development. As an example, the Metropolitan Police Service is lead agency for our response coordination arrangements. LRG ensures consistency between the capabilities through its contacts with all agencies.

The partnership has enhanced its capacity to learn from incidents and exercises through its lessons protocol. LRG manages a database to help make sure that learning is not lost with the passing of time.

The London Resilience Forum

This work is overseen by the partnership through the London Resilience Forum. The latter was established through the Civil Contingencies Act and is chaired by Dr Fiona Twycross AM, Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience. The forum includes representatives from different responding communities including faith, voluntary organisations and the business sector.

LRG provides support to the partnership during an emergency by:

• Helping to decide the necessary level of response across the partnership. This ranges from simple information sharing to face-to-face meetings of a Strategic Coordinating Group. The level of response depends on the scale and complexity of the incident.
• Providing a secretariat to the SCG. This includes advice when needed.
• Supporting the work of London Local Authority Gold who represents and coordinates the response by local authorities during a pan-London incident.
• Supporting situational awareness for local authorities and the partnership by collating reports.

As a centre of excellence LRG promotes the work of the partnership and London through:

• National work, like helping to develop national standards for resilience partnerships or supporting the development of the recently launched BS67000, City Resilience
• Hosting international projects like the Counter Terrorism Preparedness and Societal Resilience Project which supports and promotes sharing of information and learning around community preparedness and resilience between cities in Europe.

The focus of the Civil Contingencies Act is on planning for emergencies.  Since 2004 much of the thinking around resilience has moved from emergency planning to longer term resilience. London’s Resilience Partnership strategy acknowledges the risk from stresses like climate change – in many ways the weather emergencies of today may be the everyday events of tomorrow. London is part of the 100 Resilient Cities initiative and the Deputy Mayor for Fire and Resilience is taking a holistic view of the challenges that the city may face to start developing ways of addressing these now. The focus of the work is London’s people, infrastructure and governance and a Resilience Strategy for London will be published in 2020.

London Resilience Group is pleased to take its place at the centre of resilience work in London. To find out more please visit www.londonprepared.gov.uk

Hamish Cameron

London Resilience Group, London Fire Brigade

www.londonprepared.gov.uk

See further articles on resilience, business continuity and emergency planning in our Risk Management archive, in particular:

Security strategy: planning for risk

Quality security strategy for business continuity

The post What makes a city resilient? appeared first on City Security Magazine.

Owners and managers of shopping centres, malls and retail parks proudly boast of annual footfall figures that talk in the millions, and they celebrate when these figures increase.

Local authorities will also proudly trumpet these achievements, especially when footfall figures increase on their beleaguered high streets.

Unfortunately, retail and crime have always been familiar bedfellows and always will be. Where there are people with money to spend, there will always be criminals intent on preying on them.

For the low-level criminal intent on theft, burglary, shoplifting, fraud, or even physical attacks, modern retail centres are irresistible. They can take advantage of the easy access, parking and facilities provided for law-abiding shoppers, and can disappear easily into the throng.  An entire industry exists to deter, detect and apprehend this ever-present nuisance.

Worst-case scenario

However, when talking about retail and security, it is important to consider the worst-case scenario, and not only low-level crime.

The Omagh car bombing of 1998, in which 230kg of fertiliser-based explosives were detonated in a busy high street on a Saturday afternoon, killed 29 people and injured 220 others. This was the highest death toll from a single incident during the Northern Ireland troubles. It violently illustrated not only how vulnerable shopping centres are, but also the level of carnage that can be caused by a well-planned attack.

Fifteen years later, in 2013, the world was shocked as gunmen attacked the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, killing at least 67 and wounding more than 175 people. Video footage filmed on smartphones helped to drive home the horror of the attack and illustrate the helplessness and panic of victims caught up in the carnage.

In February 2015 the Al-Qaida-linked terror group al-Shabaab urged extremists to attack UK shopping malls to replicate the Nairobi shopping centre attack.

In July 2016 ten people were killed and 36 injured by a lone-wolf attack at the Olympia shopping mall in Munich. While the attack does not appear to be terrorism related, it once again illustrated just how vulnerable shopping centres continue to be, and how attractive they are as targets.

Security must evolve

The retail environment continues to evolve, and threats will also continue to evolve to take advantage of the changes and opportunities. It is therefore important that security measures and responses evolve to match emerging threats.

Unfortunately, the threat of attack, like the threat of fire or natural disaster, or indeed low-level crime, cannot ever be truly eradicated. Therefore, managers of sites responsible for planning and implementing fire and evacuation procedures should consider rethinking the standard approach of evacuating people and having them congregate at muster points.

Considering terrorist attackers prefer large groups of people to target, and considering events like the recent Westminster incident where a vehicle was used as a weapon to attack innocent bystanders on bustling London streets, instructing people to exit an area and stand in a crowd offers a subsequent easy target. So it is far better to employ a dispersal technique to your evacuation plans rather than a congregation one.

Evacuation plans

Whatever the location, building or site, it is important to periodically audit your evacuation and dispersal procedures to ensure they are still fit for purpose.

Have the procedures become outdated as the site and its usage have evolved? Is signage still in place and clear? Are staff and resident businesses properly and regularly briefed about procedures? Updating procedures could literally be the difference between life and death.

The issue of assembly of evacuated persons should be looked at as part of this audit. Dispersal is preferable to the congregation of evacuated persons as not only is it a safer strategy, it is also more realistic at sites where space is limited, such as busy city centres.

Technology for evacuation

Owners and managers of retail sites, and indeed business owners, should already be investigating how technology can be included into their evacuation and dispersal plans. Technology platforms are already being used by police forces and organisations such as the Cross-sector Safety and Security Communications (CSSC) initiative.

The CSSC initiative brings together law enforcement agencies, local and national government organisations and private sector businesses, and is proving highly effective in delivering a robust communications and intelligence infrastructure. This model could prove invaluable for all retail centres and can be critical in helping to make sure all businesses and staff are equally well informed about a situation. Details about major threats and incidents can be effectively disseminated through such networks, quickly and efficiently.

The communications technology that underpins the CSSC model is ubiquitous. All that’s needed is for retail business communities and site managers to come together to take advantage of the opportunity.

With a smartphone in every pocket, there is a great opportunity to use technology to great effect and to ensure the safety of shoppers and staff. There’s no reason why technology should not become integral to evacuation and dispersal, even functioning as a mobile guide to where people need to go in the event of an incident.

David Ward

Managing Director, Ward Security

www.ward-security.co.uk

The post Evacuation and dispersal plans at shopping centres appeared first on City Security Magazine.

The most important requirements for responding to an emergency, such as the evacuation of a building caused by a fire alarm or a lock-down invacuation caused by an external attack on a building or campus, are effective communication and control using accurate situation awareness.

Many operational security teams use two-way radios to communicate with each other day-to-day and during such emergency incidents. They can instantly initiate an individual call to a colleague or a group call to a team of people – and instantly communicate a message, ask a question or give an instruction. This is simply done by pressing the push-to-talk (PTT) button on the side of the radio and speaking through the microphone or through a remote speaker microphone worn on the shoulder. But there is a key element of this operational team that doesn’t use a radio to communicate – who uses a computer-based radio dispatcher – the control room operator.

Radio dispatcher

One way of enabling the control room operator to easily communicate with the security team via their two-way radio devices is to use a computer-based radio dispatcher, sometimes known as an integrated command and control system. This software application is installed on a stand-alone computer, and by using its speakers and a microphone or an audio headset, enables the operator to speak directly to individuals or groups on their two-way radios, without the need for the operator having a two-way radio device.

These radio dispatcher software applications have been developed for use with professional two-way radio communications systems with features that enable efficient communications between control room operators and their teams on the ground. They typically have the highest priority on the two-way radio network, enabling the control room operator to manage communications between teams in everyday operations but particularly in emergency situations and times of intense pressure.

Uses of a radio dispatcher

Many such systems have an inbuilt mapping application and can display GPS locations of radio users so that during an emergency incident the operator can see the location of each member of the security team carrying a radio and immediately take control.

These radio dispatching software packages can be entry level voice only or support text messaging, record voice calls and messages, coordinate response teams from a central point, and can link different radio networks across wide areas to create dynamic groups in times of emergencies.

Using a radio dispatcher software application, a control room operator has all the information to ensure a smooth operation is achieved. And in the post-event scenario, management teams can review all communications and instructions in order to develop processes for the future.

Nick Paris

Roadphone NRB

www.roadphone.co.uk

The post Improving communication during an emergency appeared first on City Security Magazine.

Two-way radios for security

The current threat level for international terrorism in the UK is severe, so it’s of paramount importance for companies and businesses to ensure their communications setup is ready in the event of a crisis situation – vital to maintaining security. Professional digital two-way radios can form a essential component of this infrastructure.

Continued technological advances and response to ‘voice of the customer’ feedback from the security industry means that today’s digital two-way radios offer far more features than legacy analogue walkie-talkies have ever done.

Often built to to exacting military standards of ruggedness and durability, digital two-way radios can include Bluetooth connectivity, GPS location, accelerometers (for mandown), advanced noise cancellation (ideal for high noise environments) and encryption for enhanced security and a range of professional accessories (overt, covert and surveillance) specifically designed for the current and future world of the security sector.

Integrated RFID readers on two-way radios for security

Some products today come with integrated RFID readers to enable security personnel to track their movements to key points. RFID QR codes can be placed on machinery, office equipment and other assets to enable security guards to time stamp their guard tour and record when and where they have patrolled.

Mapping software applications show control room and management teams where guards have patrolled as well as instantly directing emergency response teams to an exact location in times of distress. Reports can be generated to prove beyond doubt where a guard had toured – all delivered in one single rugged device.

The advance in digital two-way radio technology is being adopted into mainstream lightweight mobile devices. For example, end-to-end encryption has been developed primarily for security. This ensures unlawful listeners can no longer monitor communications, enabling security managers to keep ahead of potential adversaries.

The latest digital two-way radios also contain advanced audio codec to monitor the input voice and surrounding noise level and apply an algorithm to automatically decrease any external ambient background noise. This along with forward error correction ensures that the clearest intelligible speech is heard at times of mission critical operations.

Additional features on two way radios for security

Many digital radios have the added advantage of high resolution colour screens and ruggedised keypads. These can enable security guards and other users to receive and respond to alarms (from third-party systems), emergency alerts and radio-to-radio text messaging. Access control systems can be updated to send alarm messages to either individual or entire fleets of radio users – instantly. Within milliseconds of an alarm being triggered by a fire panel, CCTV system, Geofencing application or security monitoring system, an available digital two-way radio will instantly go into a state of audible alarm and display the alarm messages on the radio display.

An often compromised part of a communications system is the infrastructure. Consider the 4 C’s: Coverage, Capacity, Cost and Control. It is essential to invest in these, in order to provide the required level of performance, system availability, capacity and resilience. It’s worth noting that high quality systems often feature designed in redundancy and extensive battery back-up.

To fully realise a system’s capabilities, it is highly recommended that you work with a manufacturer-accredited company and one that can also demonstrate relevant experience. This will help to guarantee a level of expertise and that the correct design choices are made when building this powerful communications infrastructure. Together with a well-designed antenna system, this infrastructure can provide a highly resilient resource that can be depended upon in almost any situation that may occur, particularly relevant in these times. When all other communication networks are down, the one which you own is the one you have control over.

NickParis

Roadphone NRB

www.roadphone.co.uk

The post Two-way radios: essential in a crisis situation appeared first on City Security Magazine.

There are a very wide variety of major incidents that are faced by our emergency services within our cities and towns.

These incidents can range from natural disasters such as fire or flood to manmade disasters such as Hazmat spills, vehicle or aircraft crashes or, at worst, a terror related attack such as an active shooter or bombings, as seen in some of Europe’s cities in recent times.

The actions that are taken by emergency services are of paramount importance, determining the safety of the innocent civilians involved and the successful outcome of the incident. From the onset, there is usually minimal information about what has happened or what is going on; most of the information that is received is usually fragmented and sometimes conflicting.

Business continuity plans

The initial information will come from distressed and confused members of the public communicating their own version of events. The emergency services will be directly involved in segments of response until an authority of command is established; this can be many minutes from happening, dependent on the type and severity of the incident. Every business has a legal requirement covered by The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. These stipulate that every business and employer in control of premises must establish “appropriate procedures to be followed in the event of serious and imminent danger”. Then there is the commercial and reputational risk if the controlling organisation is exposed for having inadequate planning and procedures.

Most businesses will have emergency response and business continuity plans in place, developed in conjunction with the emergency services, police, fire and hospital accident and emergency, and in liaison with surrounding businesses and other organisations.

These plans are only effective if they are regularly reviewed, updated and rehearsed to check they work and to implement improvements where necessary. Designated security staff should be effectively trained so they can effectively perform their role. Vital skills, such as first aid and trauma response, must be regularly updated and refreshed.

Role of the Emergency Response Officer

Following any emergency, the first few minutes are absolutely critical. Personnel who are trained, willing and able to support a response, without putting themselves or others at risk, are a vital asset to the emergency services upon their arrival.

Some organisations identify an Emergency Response Officer who is trained to identify, report and assess the situation, to communicate essential factual information, together with assisting victims. They will be competent in ensuring equipment, such as first aid kits and fire and communications equipment, are checked and maintained as necessary.

Risk can never be eliminated, but we can take steps to reduce the negative impact of a major incident and help keep employees, visitors and public safe.

Robert Clark

Director, Templewood Training Services

www.templewoodtraining.co.uk

The post Reduce risk with the Emergency Response Officer appeared first on City Security Magazine.

This summer will mark ten years from the 7/7 London Bombings. Ask any Londoner where they were that day and they can tell you.  I was evacuated from Moorgate Station ‘due to a major incident’ which turned out to be the worst terrorist attack in the city in living memory.  London’s emergency responders did an excellent job that day, surpassed only by the fortitude of Londoners themselves as they came to terms with what had happened. The fact that London remained a proudly cohesive city is a source of strength for the future.

For emergency responders, along with the pride at the professionalism and dedication of so many staff, came many lessons. My contribution was to lead the work to rethink how best to support people affected directly by terrorist attacks and other major incidents.

In 2005 there was a draft plan that most organisations were unaware of, and little or no training for staff providing care and support.  Today, we have much better coordination between local authorities, the NHS, police and voluntary sector.  We also have a much better understanding of the journeys of recovery people take, as they come to terms with trauma, injury, and bereavement and loss.  That allows us to develop a more flexible and appropriate response, which puts the needs of people first and helps people get back a sense of control over their lives.

A decade of work on local authorities’ response to emergencies

That’s just one example of the work that has gone on over the past decade – similar stories of learning and improving could be told in many other areas of resilience work.  London is rightly seen as leading the world in its readiness for major emergencies; delegations come from across Europe and from as far afield as China to learn from our work.

Sometimes, I sense that they hope I will show them some amazing piece of technology or a gleaming control room.

Our message is much more about agencies working closely together: planning, training and exercising.

But from the point of view of local authorities, the key thing to get right is the relationship with communities.

The shocking attacks in Paris left many people with very genuine concerns.  I am sure other organisations will have asked themselves the same questions we did: if something like this was to happen here, could we lock down our buildings quickly and do as much as possible to protect our customers and staff?  When you have leisure centres, libraries and dozens of schools as well as your main offices to worry about, this is no small undertaking.

Vigilance vs reassurance

Overall, local authorities want to strike the right note between appealing for vigilance and providing reassurance. Sometimes those messages might seem to contradict each other: if you warn people to be vigilant, do you risk heightening their fears?  The last thing we want is for people to live their lives in fear.

Of course, there is no perfect answer and people receive messages according to their own beliefs and experiences. What people hear may not be what you meant to say.

In Haringey, we have found that bringing people together to discuss these issues is often the best approach: good ideas rise to the surface, and dialogue overcomes isolation. We know our communities are keen to support each other, but one message we frequently hear is: please don’t just talk to us when there is a security incident.

Community needs

That’s why we have taken a broader approach. Conversations about radicalisation are part of wider discussions about community needs: health, education and training, and supporting businesses are all equally important. Our engagement work involves broad conversations, focusing on what communities can do for themselves and building links and relationships that will help them thrive.

Ensuring that self-sufficiency doesn’t lead to isolation and disconnection is crucial, as is mutual trust. Working with the police to share intelligence about threat situations is, of course, a crucial part of the equation, and local authorities are able to do this work precisely because of our local knowledge and close connections with communities.

When I survey ten years working in emergency planning in London, two things strike me.  First is how the number of incidents we deal with is increasing, as is their profile: from the poisoning of Litvinenko to the 2011 riots and the winter flooding of 2013. London is a safe city, but not a risk-free one. The need to be prepared remains crucial.

Second is that the role of public services is changing, partly out of the necessity to make savings, but also in response to  evidence of how best to make a difference. Public services of the future will be much more about working with people as active partners to solve problems together. In how we approach security within our communities, and how we will recover from the next major incident, this approach is becoming the reality.

Andrew Meek

Head of Emergency Planning and Business Continuity, Haringey Council

www.Haringey.gov.uk

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Standing shoulder to shoulder with other emergency service responders, the Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) plays a key role in the response to terrorist incidents. The 1974 Birmingham pub bombings, the attack on the Grand Hotel in Brighton by the IRA in 1984 and the 2007 Glasgow International Airport attack, alongside numerous incidents in and around London, have all shown the FRS at the very forefront of the emergency response. This iconic imagery has been captured by the media and provides a lasting reminder of the threat we have faced for some decades.

Of late, and particularly following the events of 11 September 2001 in the USA, the nature and capability of the response has increased significantly in reaction to current and escalating threats. The role of the FRS extends beyond the obvious fire-fighting and rescue capability into one of a partner agency that is integrated at both national and local level into planning, response and recovery arrangements.

FRS in counter terrorism

Given the increasing level of sophistication and expertise that exists in the Counter Terrorism (CT) world, it is vital that the FRS develops and maintains itself as a trusted partner which possesses many valuable tools and can call on a wealth of expertise. After all, the service has extensive experience in carrying out technical rescues, which can arise in everyday life as a result of accidents, but often present extraordinary predicaments.

These challenging scenarios range from collapsed structures to leaks involving hazardous materials, and often require the provision of advanced trauma care in challenging environments.

Sadly, it is these types of rescues which often characterise the aftermath of a terrorist attack. In addition to the normal Incident Command considerations, however, is malicious intent, which brings an extra layer of uncertainty and potential volatility in which emergency responders must work.

Imagining the unimaginable is difficult for anyone but fortunately the service finds itself well placed, alongside Police and Ambulance partners, to operate within the inner cordon to undertake rescues and save life, whilst preserving a forensically rich and important environment. The challenge of changing preconceived ideas about the FRS capability beyond that of being ‘water-squirters’ is significant but is being won on the basis of demonstrable performance across a range of events and incident types.

A number of FRS now have officers seconded to local CT units to facilitate close working with partners from other agencies in many aspects of the CONTEST strategy. These secondments, along with the development of a cadre of National Incident Liaison Officers (NILOs), support the planning and response phases against those risks identified by the National Risk Assessment.

At government level

At national Government level our lead department, Communities and Local Government (DCLG), has recognised through the Fire and Rescue Service National Framework that FRS authorities need to be able to deal with the continuing malicious threat. Conceived in the immediate aftermath of the attacks on the Twin Towers, the ‘New Dimension’ programme provided the capabilities now deployed as part of FRS National Resilience. Provision is planned for a range of scenarios: from local attacks through to those which might require the coordination of an international response.

The National Resilience offer includes Urban Search and Rescue (USAR), Mass Decontamination, Detection Identification and Monitoring (DIM) of Hazardous Substances, High Volume Pumping (HVP) and Enhanced Logistics Support. Any one of these capabilities can be used by FRS across the country in moments of need, such as, for example, widespread flooding in southern England this time last year. They also work well to support improved resilience and effectiveness, if and when a malicious attack should occur. More recently the FRS has worked with Police and Ambulance partners to develop a joint response capability to a Marauding Terrorist Firearms Attack (MTFA). Such a response requires close and trusted teamwork in a highly challenging operating environment, the sole aim being to minimise injury and loss of life of those subject to an attack.

At local level

The FRS plans at a local level, primarily with Local Resilience Forum partners, for a range of possible eventualities either at specific sites or for generic terrorist related incident types.

The key role of this and associated exercising is to test plans, rehearse response, and seek to learn and deliver improvement. The principles of the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP) are being exercised on a regular basis and increasingly underpin actual incident response.

Terrorism, in its many guises, presents challenges to each of the blue light services and associated responding agencies. It is difficult to foresee any significant attack outside the UK capital which would not require the mobilisation and collaboration of a number of services and capabilities from across the country. In preparation for this, revised FRS Incident Command guidance is being written to accommodate a broader range of scenarios. This guidance is supplemented by the FRS National Co-ordination and Advisory Framework (NCAF), which sets out in detail the essential linkages and communication lines in the event of a terrorist event. NCAF clearly presents the dependencies and relationships that link the Commander of the first fire engine on scene through to the Government COBRA committee.

Each FRS forms part of the Emergency Services sector element of the defined national infrastructure, with elements of the organisations such as Control Rooms being ‘critical assets’. The need for services to develop, maintain and improve staff awareness through training and instruction has grown as the FRS role has become more defined and better understood. The FRS plans across a range of potential business continuity challenges and now has policies to cover the risks presented by cyber, personnel and physical security. In tandem with obligations as Category 1 responders under the Civil Contingencies Act, the level of FRS preparedness to respond to terrorist events and its ability to plan with partners is significantly improved in comparison to even 10 years ago. Collaboration is a key factor as this capability continues to evolve now and into the future.

Dave Walton

Chief Fire Officers Association

Lead on Environmental Protection (MTFA)

www.cfoa.org.uk

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In times of emergency, the Civil Contingencies Act requires all responding agencies to cooperate and share information.

In the capital, the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (LFEPA) plays a leading role in developing and coordinating emergency planning, response and recovery arrangements for local authorities. Here, Tom Brady of LFEPA explains the background to the Act, how it is implemented in London and examples of its use since enactment in 2004.

A comprehensive review of London’s preparedness was conducted in recognition of new and emerging threats, following the significant events of 11 September 2001.

The threat of a terrorist attack on a crowded place had emerged, generating the need for a review of existing arrangements and the development of planning assumptions at all levels for emergency planning, moving from civil defence to resilience and risk management.

Shortly before this, in response to flooding, pandemic influenza and foot and mouth disease, Central Government instigated a review of civil defence legislation in December 2000 to ensure that UK preparedness, response and recovery arrangements were fit for purpose. This resulted in the production of the Civil Contingencies Act, 2004, which became the platform for emergency preparedness for public services and businesses.

Coordinated multi-agency response

The results of both reviews transformed London’s emergency planning landscape. Following assessment of the learning outcomes from 9/11, it was clear that London required a means to deliver a coordinated, multi-agency response at the regional level; this produced the London strategic communication and coordination arrangements.

These arrangements are designed to ensure that the London Resilience Partnership, comprising more than 170 organisations, can work together to coordinate the response to and recovery from major incidents, mitigating the impact on London’s communities and businesses. The core of this was the strategic coordination protocol, which sets out how London will achieve this, and from it a suite of emergency plans and procedures were produced, in response to the new and emerging threats. These plans became evolving documents, enhanced to remain fit for purpose and reflective of national, regional and local level arrangements. The plans cover: large scale evacuation, mass fatalities, pandemic influenza, warning and informing, and site clearance. To support these plans, training and exercising is undertaken at all levels, ensuring that they can be implemented effectively in response to a major incident.

The London Resilience Team and the Business Sector Panel

During the review of London’s preparedness, the London Resilience Team was established, with the role of coordinating more than 170 different organisations, which formed the London Resilience Partnership, to ensure London’s effective delivery of the duties within the Civil Contingencies Act, 2004. This included coordinating a platform for London’s businesses to engage and ensure resilience was at the top of their agenda: the Business Sector Panel.

The Business Sector Panel is focused on ensuring engagement from businesses, identifying risk control measures, coordinating the sharing of information between businesses and the wider partnership, sharing best practice and identifying resilience impacts of regulatory change, to ensure that London’s businesses are prepared to mitigate the impact of an incident on the economy and infrastructure of the capital city.

The London Resilience forum

The Civil Contingencies Act identified the need for a pan-London body and, as a result, the London Resilience Forum was formed. The Forum, which has been meeting for the past 10 years, comprises representatives from all sectors, including emergency services and businesses, and has the mission of ensuring London is prepared to respond to and recover from emergencies. This is achieved through the ability of London to detect, prevent and, if necessary, withstand, manage and recover from disruptive challenges. The London Resilience Forum is also made up of six sub-regional resilience fora, which promote communication flow between local responders and planners, including businesses, at the regional level. At the local level, there are 33 statutory borough resilience fora that have the duty of assessing risks within the borough and implementing multi-agency planning at the local level, through liaison with their partners and businesses.

London Local Authority Gold arrangements

The London Local Authority Gold Arrangements provide a means by which London’s 33 local authorities can respond as one in a collective, coordinated and consistent manner. These arrangements empower one London Local Authority Chief Executive to act as the strategic representative of London local authorities, the London Local Authority Gold (LLAG). The LLAG is supported by the London Local Authority Coordination Centre (LLACC, part of LFEPA), which links to 33 borough emergency control centres that are charged with managing the incident locally.

These arrangements were first implemented  in July 2005, in response to the London bombings, and ensured that London local authorities played a leading and coordinated role in the regional multi-agency response. This enabled local authorities to discharge community leadership, support and share information with the community and businesses within their borough and lead on the recovery phase, aiming (as far as possible) to restore normality to the city.

To meet the demands of the new and emergency threats, the London Local Authority Gold Arrangements are scalable and flexible enough to manage both high impact, spontaneous emergencies and protracted incidents across London. In order to remain so, the LLACC supports local authorities by ensuring effective and efficient support to the LLAG arrangements.

This is achieved through:

• Constant monitoring and horizon scanning
• Timely information sharing and regular communications
• Ensuring successful incident response and coordination
• Adding value

The LLACC and LLAG have been at the heart of London’s response to range of incidents over the past decade:

Monitoring community tensions following Woolwich murder

Following the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich, the LLACC ensured LLAG remained apprised of the emerging situation and the results of community tension monitoring conducted by boroughs. This ensured the early escalation of community cohesion issues once identified to enable local authorities to remain at the heart of developing London-wide community cohesion strategies and public reassurance.

London 2012

The principals of the London Local Authority Strategic Coordination Arrangements were employed to manage the day-to-day operations of the London Olympic Games in 2012, whilst still maintaining the emergency response capacity. This was achieved through the establishment of the Local Authority Olympic Coordination Centre (LAOCC, working alongside the Greater London Authority and the London Resilience Team in the London Operations Centre), which was staffed by the London Fire Brigade’s Emergency Planning team and ensured the retention of situational awareness, so that the LLAG and Central Government were kept apprised of the impact of the Games on local authorities. Furthermore, the LAOCC worked with the GLA to ensure that London was able to provide an enhanced experience through the delivery of public sector events and ensuring that the Games environment continued onto the streets of the host city, whilst maintaining the delivery of core services for the rest of London.

Multi-agency response keeps London moving

During the snow of 2009-10, to ensure London kept moving, the LLACC monitored salt stock levels required to provide an effective road gritting service, produced projections to inform the prioritisation of resupply from the national stockpile and coordinated mutual aid across London boroughs, where required.

Swine flu

As part of the meadures for the influenza (swine flu) pandemic of 2009, the LLACC comprehensively reported on its impact on all 33 local authorities, from arrangements of schools and contact centres to ensuring business continuity arrangements remained in place.

London bombings

These focuses are best demonstrated during the response to the London bombings, where the LLACC supported the affected local authorities and coordinated mutual aid, to minimise the impact on London.

These focuses have also been met through the management of a variety of other incidents since the events of 11 September 2001, including the response to the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko (Polonium-210), severe weather (including snow, storms and flooding) and London disorder.

Since the introduction of the Civil Contingencies Act in 2004, it is clear that the business sector is in a far stronger position to contribute to and benefit from the resilience agenda and achieves this through engagement with the various resilience fora and the Business Sector Panel. In doing so, businesses help to ensure that London continues to be a resilient city.

More information can be found at the websites of • London Prepared • London Fire Brigade • Cabinet Office • DCLG

Tom Brady

Emergency Planning Officer

www.london-fire.gov.uk

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