‘London’s emergency plans must be changed’, says London Assembly report into 7th July bombings
The account by the 7 July Review Committee reveals that in the immediate aftermath of the bombings, hundreds of people were left to wander away from the scenes with little or no effort made to collect their details. The information gathered on the 7th July and afterwards was not managed properly, the system was fragmented and uncoordinated and consequently, people did not receive the support and advice they needed. An estimated 1,000 adults and 2,000 of their children are likely to have suffered from post-traumatic stress as a result of their experiences – 3,000 others are also believed to have been directly affected by the explosions. The majority are still not known to the authorities, are not part of any survivors’ support network and have been left to fend for themselves. Richard Barnes AM, who chaired the investigation said: “There is no doubt that lives were saved by individual acts of incredible bravery and courage by members of the emergency services, other passengers and members of the public. “London’s emergency plans have been tested, practiced and refined, but on 7th July it was clear that they ignored the needs of many individuals caught up in the attacks. They focused on incidents but not individuals and processes rather than people. It is vital that these plans are reviewed and updated to address this major issue. “In November we will be asking the authorities for progress reports on the recommendations we have made and want to see some significant changes. If not, we will certainly be asking why.” The report also highlights problems caused by communications difficulties within and between the emergency services. Radios used by most blue light services still do not work underground, despite recommendations made 18 years ago after the Kings Cross Fire. The report also states ‘there can be no excuse now for failing to deliver facilities to enable underground communications by the end of 2007, which was the target date given to us by the emergency and transport services in November 2005.’ It is also vital that London’s emergency services are equipped with digital radios so they do not have to rely on mobile telephones to communicate between the scenes of major incidents and control rooms. Read the report at http://www.london.gov.uk/assembly/reports/general.jsp#7july The London Resilience Partnership issued the following statement in response to the 7 July Review Committee report: "The events of 7 July were unprecedented in London, as was the challenge they presented. On that morning London's emergency services and transport workers mounted their biggest ever response to a terrorist attack. It was a response characterised by partnership and professionalism, and reflected the contingency plans that had been honed and tested over four years. “There were some incredible acts of bravery and everybody on duty from the emergency services, transport staff, health, local authorities, voluntary agency staff and Londoners stepped up and delivered their best on what was far all a day of unspeakable tragedy. There can be no doubt that lives were saved thanks to the efforts of everyone involved in the response. “The sheer scale and unique nature of events on 7 July mean that naturally there will be lessons to learn about our response. Some issues have already been recognised and acted upon, such as communications systems and problems with radios underground. Any useful contribution to ensuring that London is as well prepared as possible to deal with future emergencies is welcome. “We shall study the report's recommendations closely and take on board any additional lessons, whilst never forgetting the professionalism and individual acts of heroism that characterised London's response to the bombings." The London Resilience Partnership is headed by the London Resilience Forum which is chaired by the Phil Woolas MP (Minister for Local Government) with Ken Livingstone (Mayor of London) as deputy chair, and has top level representation from all London's key responding agencies (the police, fire, ambulance, health, local authorities, transport, utilities, the Port of London Authority, the voluntary sector, together with the key Government departments and agencies, the military and London's business community.
•Date: 5th June 2006• Region: UK • Type: Article •Topic: Terrorism |
