Project Argus Training

AGENDA ITEM 7

BOROUGH OF POOLE

EMERGENCY COMMITTEE

10TH SEPTEMBER 2007

PROJECT ‘ARGUS’ TRAINING

PART OF PUBLISHED FORWARD PLAN: No

1 PURPOSE AND POLICY CONTEXT

1.1. The purpose of this report is to advise members of the work done to arrange and conduct an initial ‘PROJECT ARGUS’ training event to assist Poole businesses, particularly those in the Dolphin Centre and High Street, to protect their staff and their customers from the effects of a terrorist attack.

2. RECOMMENDATIONS

2.1. Members are asked to support this current and future collaborative work with the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) and local Counter Terrorism Security Advisers (CTSA’s).

3. PROJECT ARGUS DESCRIPTION

3.1. Project ARGUS is a National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) initiative, which aims to assist those who own, operate or work in shoppings centres to reduce the risk of a terrorist attack and to limit the damage an attack may cause.

3.2. It achieves this by taking representatives from shopping centre businesses through a simulated terrorist attack. The simulation identified the measures to take for preventing, handling and recovering from a terrorist attack by working through six phase:

a. The attack (initial reactions and responses).

b. The attack (practical issues of staff welfare, transport and communications).

c. The worst is over ? (exeriences of business people who have been involved in terrorist attacks and how they could relate to Poole businesses).

d. Business on Balance (consequences of an attack for staff and business – need for business recovery planning).

e. Right to be suspicious (identifying hostile reconnaisances, reporting it and how to develop a ‘challenge’ culture).

1 f. Making the Case (presenting the need for taking action to deal with security threats to an organisation’s management).

3.3 . This simulation provided an opportunity for Dolphin Centre managers and buiness staff to both learn from and contribute to lessons which will help them to protect their business and their customers, and which are equally applicable for national chains or individual small businesses.

4. POOLE ARGUS EVENT

4.1. The Poole ARGUS was conducted on Friday 3rd August 07 at Upton House. The event lasted three hours and was be facilitated by Dorset Police CTSA’s with support from other Emergency Services and the Council, and was introduced by Cllr Elaine Atkinson.

4.2. A total of 45 delegates attended from the majority of the major businesses within the Dolphin Centre and surrounding retail areas. In addition delelegates from the Poole Lighthouse and the Port of Poole also attended.

4.3. Feedlback from the delegates and the supporting Emergency Services representatives was very positive with much ‘lively’ discussion generated within syndicates. All confirmed they would take the lessons learned, together with advice sources from the event and those available on the BPRG web-portal and other sources and review and develop their own company protective security arrangements.

4.4 At the time of production of this report it has been proposed that further ARGUS events should take place, in particular for the night-time economy businesses on Poole Quay which has now been arranged for Friday 14th September.

5. FOLLOW UP ACTIONS

5.5. It has been agreed that the Council should follow up the ARGUS training by meeting with delegates, and lead in the process of implementing the lessons learned. It is proposed that this should primarily fall to the Town Centre Management unit and Strategic Development with Housing & Community Services starting the process.

SIMON HENDEY Head of Housing and Community Services