esilience Journal of the Emergency Planning Society Summer 2020

R At the ready INSIDE Planning for FLOODS: learning to ‘live Pandemics with water’ in Yorkshire

RISK: implementing lessons learned

HEALTH & SAFETY: what other countries do WHAT TERRORISM: how the HAVENew Flood WE media can help Resilience PWG LEARNED?formed

www.the-eps.org EPS Board, Nations and Regions - your contacts

Communications - Rachel Hutchinson Devon - Debbie Brooker-Evans BOARD OF DIRECTORS [email protected] [email protected] Events - Bernard Kershaw Dorset – Caroline Lindsay Chair of the EPS: Jacqui Semple [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Wiltshire - Vanessa Middlemiss NORTHERN [email protected] All officers can be contacted via: Gloucestershire - Ian Goodyear Vice Chair : [email protected] [email protected] Martin Blackburn Treasurer – Liz Redfern Partnership & International Director – SOUTHERN Branches Director: Andrew Brown Tracey Pitt Chair - Louise Cadle [email protected] [email protected] NORTHERN IRELAND Secretary - Seth Speirs WALES Finance Director: Martin Blackburn [email protected] Chair – Roy Chape [email protected] Treasurer - Joan McCaffrey [email protected] [email protected] Deputy Chair - Steve Jones Professional Working Group PR & Members - Dawn Bowers [email protected] [email protected] Secretary - Russell Stafford-Tolley Director: Stephen Gallagher [email protected] [email protected] REPUBLIC OF IRELAND Treasurer - Natalie Phillips Branch Executive address: EPS (Republic of Ireland [email protected] Governance: Stephen Arundell Branch) c/o The Mews 15 Adelaide Street, Dun Training and Events Officer – Daniel Rixon [email protected] Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. Telephone: +353 (1) 280 9410 [email protected] Email: [email protected] Assist. Events/Training - Malcolm Dubber Chair - Dennis Keeley [email protected] Director of Professional Standards & [email protected] +353868150210 Communications - Emma John Learning: Jeannie Barr Deputy Chair - Sean Ward Practitioner Representatives - Sara Lane [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Secretary - John Brophy Practitioner Representatives – Ceri Jones [email protected] +353873291678 [email protected] Director for Events: Education - Caroline McMullan Sebastian Bassett-James [email protected] WEST MIDLANDS Events.director@the-eps-org Treasurer - Eileen Tully Chair - William Read [email protected] [email protected] Director for Projects: Kevin Pollock Student Liaison - Gavin Brown Vice Chair - Jawaid Akhtar [email protected] [email protected] Project.director@the-eps-org Membership - Michael Conway Secretary - Libby Tassell [email protected] [email protected] BRANCHES Members - Lianne Deathridge SCOTLAND [email protected] INTERNATIONAL All officers can be contacted via the main Members – Andrea Davies Contact EPS Head Office at: address: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Members - Peter Streets Chair - David Bright [email protected] EAST MIDLANDS Vice-Chair - Ross Baird Members - Steve Webb Chair - Andrew McCombe DipEP MEPS Secretary/Membership - Donald Park [email protected] [email protected] Executive Member - Mhairi McGowan Members - Mike Enderby Secretary and Lincolnshire Representative - Graeme Executive Member - Norbert Grant [email protected] Hempsall Executive Member - Colin McGowan Members - Claire Wise [email protected] [email protected] Treasurer - Martin Wilkinson SOUTH EASTERN [email protected] Chair - Ian Taylor YORKSHIRE & THE HUMBER Employer Liaison and Industry - Eran Bauer [email protected] 07752 316160 Chair – Katie Speed [email protected] Secretary - Tom Crellin [email protected] Nottinghamshire County Representative - Nigel [email protected] 07970 209344 Deputy Chair – Paul Brown Humphreys Membership Secretary - Kevin Claxton [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 07856 917007 Secretary - Darren Nugent Events - Richard Highgate [email protected] EASTERN [email protected] 07920 780609 Treasurer – Richard Howes Chair - Andrew Morrison Executive Member - Steve Scully 07770 725321 [email protected] [email protected] 07740 185261 Events – Wendy Muldoon [email protected] LONDON SOUTH WESTERN All officers can be contacted via the main Chair – Ian Cameron address: [email protected] [email protected] Deputy Chair - Vanessa Middlemiss Chair – Adnan Ragab [email protected] Treasurer – Paul Basson Secretary – Nicola Dawson External Relations – Peter Joyce [email protected] Web & Comms – Phil West NORTH WEST [email protected] Emergency Planning Society Chair - Andrew Swapp Membership Secretary - Paul Stephens The Hawkhills, [email protected] [email protected] York YO61 3EG Secretary/Treasurer - Jenny Jones County Representatives [email protected] Avon - Bill Crocker Tel: 01347 821972 Vice Chair - Julie Ferguson [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Cornwall - Caroline Wildish Accounts: [email protected] [email protected] CHAIR’S UPDATE

memo Jacqui Semple, Resilience EPS Chair Summer 2020 issue How are you? Really, I mean, how are YOU? Today when I was writing my introduction, I hit a brick wall; it was sore. 4 - EPS update: new In usual style, I want to analyse why? I want to have a conversation with link up with Crisis myself and suggest that it is nothing to do with six months of dealing with Response Journal; a pandemic, and surely things are getting better, less frantic, more time remembering to look at all the other “things”? Bill Maddox I am sooooooooo good at giving advice and theoretically good at assessing what’s up; I need a bit of work on really listening to the advice I 5 - 6 Living with would give myself and others. Recognising all of that is good I tell myself; but who am I kidding? My Afterwards: full report expectations and standards are perhaps too high? I expect too much of myself all of the time. on the Webinar Despite so much more on wellbeing being prevalent and recognising it is ok not to be ok, I am not sure my inner child (dare not let her out) has the same view. 7 - Grenfell: I’ve been reading and absorbing the great work of Chris Williams, Professor of Psychosocial commemoration in the Psychiatry at the University of Glasgow. We were fortunate enough to have him come along to one Covid age of our Resilience Huddles and more widely through our webinar series. So, am I able to recognise “my signs” and take time out and just accept I am allowed not to feel ok all the time? Yet when I feel low, I don’t instantly always know I am at that point. Mental health and wellbeing still have a long FEATURE: COVID-19 way to go to be have the same acceptance as something visibly physical. 8 - 13: Julian Patmore The loss of my friend and former Scottish Branch Chair, Bill Maddox, has had a profound impact on examines the ‘Lacuna me; not only the loss of his friendship but going through the funeral process and grief of a reduced Paradox’ - how has our service, the implications of no hugging or touching and really feeling the loss for his family. We plan, previous pandemic prepare and write what needs to happen, but understanding the emotional impacts of all that we do planning matched up is another matter; especially one so close to home. We have a tribute to Bill in this edition and it was 14 - 15: Peter Davies an honour to deliver part of the eulogy to him during his lovely service; he was all about making a looks at ‘track and trace’, difference. and the pitfalls around So, on to making a difference. There is so much that is positive in our world. We do make a privacy difference. We want to make our voices louder and stronger and we are really doing that. With ever 16 - 17: Andrew Couper crisis comes opportunity; we must seize it and we are. Our Board is working hard. Our Branches are looks at implementing working hard as are our Professional Working Groups. What are the next big things we need to be change prepared for? Covid-19 is with us for a long time to come, but so too are our other hazards and 18 - 19: health and safety threats. around the world Our new strategic partnership with CRJ is timely and I am excited to consider how we work together 20 - COVID-19 update: to benefit the profession. Our media presence is great and enhanced. Our work on the review of the reports from Lincoln- competence framework to be a professional framework of practice with a clear learning pathway has shire, Conwy and the gathered momentum and pace. I am excited, I am humbled. European Union So much more to write about, but for now, thank you for the work you do, continue to do and the difference you make. You do make a difference no matter what job you do. Always remember; you make a difference. FEATURE: FLOOD Stay safe, stay well and it’s ok to not be ok! CAMPAIGNS 21 - 24: Shelley Evans outlines the new ‘Flood CPR’ campaign and the Pathfinder projects in Write for Resilience Yorkshire WE all know this has been the busiest of times, but please take some time out to think about contributing to YOUR magazine. Our members are at the epicentre of emergency planning and response, at the heart of our REVIEW: profession, so we want to hear from your about your experiences, lessons identified, best practice, 25 - 27: Bob Wade looks sharing your latest campaigns or ideas, from right across the spectrum of crises and emergencies. at the latest Occasional Don’t worry if putting pen to paper is not your forte - the editorial team can help you put it into Paper from RUSI on shape if needed. Here’s the copy deadlines for the next two issues: terrorism and the mass

media Autumn - Thursday 3 September

Resilience is produced by: Bob Wade Winter - Thursday 5 November Media Ltd, Sutton Coldfield B73 5SS Co. Reg. 07469245 Tel: 0121 354 8223 I 07950 155008 Send your contribution to Bob Wade on: [email protected] [email protected] Or phone 07950 155008 to discuss your ideas for a contribution

Resilience l 3 EPS UPDATE

response. We are EPS links up with CRJ in new delighted to be working with the EPS in order to ‘strategic partnership’ remedy this situation into the THE EPS and the Crisis Response Journal “Put simply, emergency planning and future, and the have announced that they will be working in management are basic, good organisational team is looking a strategic partnership to further the practice, whether at national and local forward to work- authoritative and vital voice of the government levels, in the corporate and ing with the EPS profession, both in the UK and further afield. business world, the emergency services or and developing This new partnership will bring additional the third sector. Unfortunately, sometimes our shared benefits and opportunities for EPS this vital experience can be overlooked or its agenda.” members. advice is unheeded. EPS Chair Jacqui ◼ Emily Hough, Editor The two organisations will be working “The Covid-19 pandemic has laid bare the Semple added: in Chief of Crisis together to build on a coherent, collaborative grave dangers of failure to understand the "This is an exciting Response Journal and co-ordinated vision and voice in true systemic nature of risk and the potential opportunity to highlight emergency planning. This will see the CRJ cascading consequences that can spread the vital role of resilience and emergency publish and share thought leadership articles much, much further than the initial crisis. planning professionals across the UK and authored by EPS members, as well as share The cost in terms of lives and economies has beyond. We're delighted to be working knowledge, EPS webinars, interviews, pod- been immense. alongside the CRJ in this venture and to offer casts, events, articles, and many more “By working in partnership with the EPS, EPS members the additional benefits this initiatives and content of interest. we will be seeking to work together to partnership brings for them." Within this partnership, all members of the amplify the voice of the emergency planning EPS will have full digital access to the sector, providing the leadership, profession- ◼ To register for access to the archive of journal and its 16 years of archived content, alism, experience and insights that are so CRJ content, and issues of the magazine, joining the CRJ’s global, multidisciplinary crucial in terms of protecting people, their please click on the link emailed to all community of readers, authors and experts, lives, communities, livelihoods, economies members on 13 July - the email was from and being invited to share their experience and overall national resilience. ‘The Emergency Planning Society’ and was and knowledge with their peers around the This continuing pandemic is not the only titled: ‘ New Strategic Partnership and EPS world. crisis that is looming on the horizon. Covid- member benefits’. The email also outlines Emily Hough, Editor in Chief of the Crisis 19 has revealed societal divisions, vulnera- the GDPR guidance on consent. Response Journal, said: bilities and chasms in preparedness and

development of rest centre software, winning an award for innovation in 2011; just before he retired. Bill would always Bill Maddox remind you that your job was about making a difference to peoples’ lives. ‘Nae man can tether That has never been more to the fore than it is today. time or tide’ Bill was unafraid to speak his mind and to speak out for ‘us’. As Chair of the ALL members have Emergency Planning Society, Scottish Branch he appeared on been saddened by the national TV news to declare emergency planning was a “Cinderella sad passing of Bill Service” being undervalued and under resourced – wonder if that Maddox, former rings any bells? Emergency Planning Bill loved public speaking and was never one to miss an oppor- Officer at Perth and tunity. He took every opportunity to indulge in his love of all things Kinross Council. Bill Burns and frequently took to the stage at numerous events at home hadn’t kept the best of and abroad to entertain with his memorable Tam o’Shanter, leaving health since he retired in all of us in awe of committing the many verses and actions to 2011. However, it did memory. He was an absolute professional. not stop him continuing That famous poem contains the line “Nae man can tether time or to live life to the full. tide”, how true. Those who knew Bill Bill was a great friend, colleague and mentor to us. We owe Bill will remember him well so much for his unyielding promotion of our role. as a robust man whose physicality was matched by his mischievous There is so much more we could say to celebrate all that Bill did humour, broad smile and passionate advocacy for our profession. and the difference he made. He cared, he made a difference, he Bill never missed an opportunity to tell a story, and he had many! made us laugh, he made us cry. We had some great nights as Team There is so much that we can say about Bill, always a warm greet- Tayside, Team EPS, Scotland and beyond. We will miss him. ing to everyone he met and a tale or two to add into the mix. He had Our heartfelt thoughts are with June, his wife and soulmate of 45 many a story to tell about the early years in civil defence in Dundee, years, and sons Jamie, Alasdair and their families. including some funny stories about colleagues, or about his big So, whether you knew Bill personally or not, where and when you passion for the ‘National Bard’ Robert Burns. get the opportunity please raise a glass to his memory because we In 1993, Bill was part of the emergency planning team, responding are all ‘Jock Tamson’s Bairns’ and Bill would never tire of to catastrophic flooding in Perth. For months and years later, Bill reminding you of that. would speak about the response and the recovery, and the many changes that were needed to protect our communities. He was a Jacqui Semple, Chair, Emergency Planning Society guest lecturer at the Emergency Planning College, presenting on rest centres and influencing change. He also supported the Ken Wratten, Chair, Local Authority Resilience Group Scotland (LARGS)

4 l Resilience EPS UPDATE

MORE than 100 resilience professionals joined the latest ‘Living with Afterwards’ - educational event held by the Emergency Planning Society which explored moving forward from the the road plan to recovery COVID-19 crisis. The webinar, Living with Afterwards, was hosted by Professor Lucy Easthope and EPS Chair Jacqui Semple and brought together a panel of experts from emergency planning, disaster management, public health, CBRN and academia. With a focus on supporting strategic decision makers within local authorities, including Chief Executives, the panel offered expert guidance, insights, discussion and advice on the current COVID19 situation, how we can all move forward and how resilience professionals can continue our focus is on the disease, it is not the only delivering their essential roles to the thing we as emergency professionals are highest standard in the midst of the Dealing with doing. emergency. He said: “We have all got our work streams; business as usual, thinking about the ‘hazard the future, recovery as well as dealing with the initial emergency. This is elcoming delegates EPS Chair the first time these are really all W Jacqui Semple said: “The EPS was cascade’ amalgamated together – they are not separate created in 1993 to promote effective people doing all these things – everybody is emergency planning and management and PROFESSOR Easthope then introduced Dr in this together.” support the professional interests of our Hugh Deeming who spoke on Stabilisation Dr Deeming then explored hazard members. and Impact Assessments in Structuring your concurrency citing the example of the recent “Since then the operating landscape of Recovery. extra challenges faced in Dorset with wild emergency management has changed Dr Deeming told delegates that while we fires which saw a number of personnel extensively. We live in a world of complex, are all dealing with one thing, COVID-19 in pulled out to respond to the fires during a inter-dependant and dynamic risks with an this case, there of course are other things disease outbreak. increase in the range of threats and hazards. happening in the background – each He also spoke on hazard cascades such as Much of that has been driven by societal resilience professional has a community risk the triple disaster in Japan in 2011 – an change, civilisation, reform, changes in local register which holds any number of other earthquake which became a tsunami which and national structures and political activity. hazards. in turn became a nuclear reactor failure and “We are a small world and global changes So, he said, we must remember that while hazard series - the recovery from one will continue to impact us - the pandemic has disaster even more challenging with the brought this in to sharp focus. What does this ◼ Dr Hugh Deeming onset of the new disaster. This causes a mean for us a profession? constant pendulum between response and “With every crisis comes opportunity. We recovery and all of these need to be have adapted quickly to deliver what is need- considered in the context of Covid-19. ed in a short space of time. So what does that Dr Deeming concluded with two look like now and in the road ahead? definitions of stabilisation and how they can “This event is an excellent example of impact us as emergency planners going where we need to be and where we need to forward. be striving to get to. “So as professionals working in resilience and emergency management, our members are at the very heart and centre of the global Salisbury: plan pandemic – some centre stage, some conducting and some behind the scenes. for recovery “We have rehearsed for such a long time for such a range of hazards - the spotlight is on – we need to capture the mood of the from beginning audience. “This is a time for the profession to come DELEGATES then heard from Tracy together and support each other, work in Daszkiewicz, the Director of Public Health harmony and learn as we go forward. We at Wiltshire County Council who shared must be positive and we must go forward in ‘Lessons from Salisbury; Top Tips for a way that makes a difference. Recovery Leaders’. “Today forms part of that research, exper- Tracy was heavily involved in the tise and knowledge. We are in this for the emergency planning response to the use of a long haul. But on top of this we must be nerve agent in the city. ready for the next big thing.” Through Tracy’s experience in Salisbury, 

Resilience l 5 EPS UPDATE

THE Getting the WEBINAR was hosted strategic ‘tone’ by Profes- sor Lucy right Easthope

BARRY Moss then took delegates through Lucy hosts a ‘Lessons from CBRN, Stability in leadership and addressing disruptive factors’. twitter feed In his presentation, Barry explored strate- which invites discussion on these gic planning. topics and can be found He said: “The inability to successfully incorporate strategic planning is key to un- here: @lucygobag derstanding how to improve performance in planning and response/recovery. Her book, What Next, will also “In the Covid-19 post-incident debriefs explore these topics more fully I’m sure we will look at how well we did with setting the strategic ‘tone’ and the and will be published in the specification of planning outputs - what we Autumn. did with them, and what context and content we put into them and how smart we made them.” We need, he said, to learn to recognise what is strategic planning and direction and Community what is operational input. Barry told delegates: “Concurrency of planning and delivery is key to recognise at a resilience is strategic level – it is too easy to focus on one ◼ Tracy Daszkiewicz, the Director of Public strategic issue at a time without considering Health at Wiltshire County Council, how things interlink which affect each key presented on ‘Lessons from Salisbury; Top other.” Tips for Recovery Leaders’. Barry also discussed addressing disruptive HAVING people at the heart of the response factors, urging people to be aware of the was explored by final speaker Emma information disseminated by organisations, Dodgson who has learned through past  she saw the importance of the community the public, the media and politicians and to experiences in responding that it is essential during the recovery process. be aware of competing and contradicting that we do not let the recovery response She said: “We cannot separate the stages agendas. become too process focused, as often of a response – everything happens together. happens, as this can be more damaging. We plan fiercely in peace times and we try It can be avoided, she said, by putting and understand what we can put in place to people at the heart of communities and at mitigate and prevent escalation of harm the heart of response and recovery. during an incident. ◼ Barry Moss She said: “Community resilience is key, “Then when an incident hits we move into it’s engaging and enabling communities to our response. As the incident occurred in recover rather than treating them like a Salisbury it seemed common sense to passive recipient of plans and decisions. immediately begin to plan for the next phase “We should embrace and harness local – there needs to instantly be movement support networks, find out what the priorities happening in the background towards steps and ambitions of the community are and for recovery. embed empathy and a people-focused “People cannot be left in a state of distress; approach across and throughout command they need to be made to feel safe and and control and response and recov- reassured. As a result, the recovery plan, ery, with Hobfoll’s Principles of Resilience from a public health perspective, was written (psychological first aid) as a model to use. It on Day 3 of the response.” should also be embedded in decision- Tracy reminded delegates how important it making, policy briefings, communication is to get “boots on the ground” straight away and welfare for responders. to reassure the community. “Recovery is not a one size fits all She urged planners that when conducting approach – we need to have an equitable Community Impact Assessments, that it recovery plan for inclusivity and diversity cannot be just an academic exercise - and possibly use a Humanitarian Impact resilience professionals need to be Assessment to recognise differences in peo- in with the community, learning about and ple’s and community’s needs. What works understanding their experiences. well for one community might not work in They need to think of everyone who has another one. been disrupted as it can be more widespread “Equality impact assessments and than first thought. community impact assessments are key.” Community-led monitoring and evaluation is key, she said. Community resilience needs ◼ The EPS would like to thank all of the to be assessed – this will vary within speakers for their insightful and interesting different subgroups of the community. presentations. The event was such a success Planning for prioritisation and screening of further webinars on this subject are planned communities is crucial. for later this summer.

6 l Resilience EPS UPDATE

Commemoration in the

age of COVID By Matt Hogan

THERE’S a building evidence-base (de illumination of the Tower and other Jong & van Tilborg in EDUCEN 2017) that • the process of remembrance after a traumatic buildings event can support both individual healing as • ‘GreenForGrenfell’ - a campaign well as cultural memory. encouraging all homes to shine a green light For the past two years, the Grenfell from their window using YouTube community have marked the passing of time since the fire with a series of monthly silent • a facility for flowers to be placed marches and multi-faith vigil and remotely if families felt unable to attend Commemoration during COVID is possible, commemoration services at 6, 12 and 24 • access for bereaved and survivor but what this experience revealed most to me month points. families into the Tower site for private is that we don’t have well developed In March 2020 the silent marches, which reflection. approaches to doing recovery from one could see up to 10,000 people assemble in incident during the response to another. North Kensington, had to be stopped due to The last of these options was logistically It'd be interesting to hear from other COVID-19. Shortly afterwards it became challenging - accommodating a large cohort organisations about whether their communi- clear that the community would not be able of grieving and traumatised people, into a ties who experienced incidents have had to come together in the same way as previous site with numerous safety hazards, in the similar experiences this year. years to mark the third anniversary on 14 middle of a pandemic…where the guidance June. Yet remembrance, collective healing is in constant flux! However, a process was Further reading: EDUCEN (2017) Culture & and community togetherness remained key co-designed with local NHS and public Urban Disaster A Handbook: https:// priorities. health colleagues to enable safe access into www.preventionweb.net/publications/view/54160

Options for remembrance were developed the site over a three day period. Matt is on secondment from London by individuals, community groups and public In total 245 individuals attended the site, Resilience to MHCLG and oversees the authorities, and included: 80 per cent of which attended on 14 June and management of the Grenfell Site. • virtual events and online faith services feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

As if we didn’t have enough to cope with...

THE ‘hazard cascade’ spoken of by Dr Deeming came to the editor of Resilience while he was putting this issue together. Looking out of the window, he saw his street being cordoned off, several police vans pulling up and then - gulp - the bomb disposal squad. The street’s What’s App group was soon buzzing that builders working on the house opposite had found a ‘World War II bomb’. The threat of evacuation posed all sorts of issues - what would a ‘socially distanced’ Reception Centre look like? Would lock down rules be lifted so we could stay with relatives? Fortunately, panic over. It turned out to be a buried concrete bollard - but when you look at it (right) you can see why the builders had a start.

Resilience l 7 COVID-19

Planning for Pandemics The Lacuna Paradox

JULIAN PATMORE had a lead role in multi-agency pandemic flu planning for many years. He looks at how previous pandemic planning has matched up - or not - to the current Covid-19 crisis, and the issues it has raised for future pandemic planning

8 l Resilience COVID-19

Lacuna: noun: - an unfilled space; a gap. By Julian Patmore PgD, DipHEP, Cert-ILM, MEPS, MBCI

JULIAN is a former Police Sergeant and Acting Inspector, with wide joined Suffolk West Primary Care Trust (PCT) as the Emergency experience in operational, I Planning and Business Continuity Manager in April 2003, operational support and towards the point that SARS (Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome) organisational support roles, Coronavirus (SARS-Cov) was reaching its peak (1). including five years as a Counter As at 11 July 2003, SARS had reached 32 countries and infected Terrorist Firearms officer and team leader. 8,437 people worldwide with 813 deaths (2). SARS’ shared characteristics with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) include: He joined Suffolk West Primary Care Trust in 2003 and was in the vanguard of planners who implemented the • origins in Chinese wet markets Civil Contingencies Act 2004 and represented Suffolk • modes of transmission PCTs on a number of LRF and Regional Resilience fora

and exercises. He was the chair of the LRF CBRN • early diagnosis, isolation and controls designed to reduce the working group and a member of the National Nuclear reproductive number R0, the most effective intervention in the absence of anti-viral medicine and a vaccine (not even ingested Industry Emergency Planning Committee in relation to disinfectant). matters concerning Sizewell-B.

• Morbidity and mortality tended to affect older adults with He was in the first cohort of students on the Diploma in pre-existing conditions (3 & 4). Health Emergency Planning and later became an

Further, problems existed in the quality and availability of data. associate trainer and student mentor of the course China failed to report the outbreak for some months and then with the Emergency Planning College. In 2005, He took radically obfuscated the numbers. Carlo Urbani, the doctor the lead for multi-agency pandemic flu planning, identifying the disease, was killed by it (5 & 6). responsible for delivering the plan and associated With only four cases and two self-limiting outbreaks in the UK Exercise Cold-Play. between 2002-2004, my involvement with SARS-2003 was limited

to a bit of reading, which was helpful as I had joined the PCT from In 2007, Julian joined East Sussex the Police and had never heard of zoonotic disease. However, it wasn’t long before the National Risk Register put County Council, working in Children’s pandemic influenza at the highest level of risk, and Service in strategic project planning and exercising became ubiquitous in the management and the resilience newly created Local Resilience Forums (LRF), the portfolio responsible for emergency central co-ordinating structure of the integrative Civil Contingencies Act, 2004 (CCA). planning, business continuity, business risk management and My role had been created in anticipation of the CCA by Tony Ranzetta, the forward-looking health and safety management. Chief Executive of Suffolk West PCT. My He is responsible for developing work quickly attracted the attention of the Crisis Management in schools four other Suffolk PCT’s and I was soon and created Exercise Portcullis – wrapped up in pan-county work across the the management of aggressive emergency planning and business continuity disciplines, as well as being on a range of LRF intruders on educational premises. and Regional Resilience Forum working groups (Regional Resilience Fora were disbanded in 2012 and replaced by multi-working LRFs) (7). The vastness, complexity and scope of the Primary Care system, its relationship with acute trusts, local medical and local pharmaceutical councils, the Health Protection Agency and our overseers the Strategic Health Authority, took on Gormanghastic proportions of multi-layered intricacies of esoteric language, deep-rooted tradition, culture, practice and personality type. And, mixed into this professional and social equilibrium melting pot, came the equally esoteric languages and mores of  Resilience l 9 COVID-19

 the County, District and Borough councils, the Police, the • challenges to the supply of food and pharmaceuticals that might Ambulance Trust, the Fire and Rescue Service, the Environment result in civil unrest Agency, the Military (British and American) and the Voluntary sector. It was a widespread and committed collective of some of the • burgeoning mortuaries and overrun crematoria most brilliant professionals I have worked with, at every level. • feeding a voracious media and the government’s appetite for Sometime in 2005, some 25 of us came together to form a Pandem- data. ic Planning Group under a dictate from government to produce an • We noted changes to the law and regulations that would be re- influenza plan within weeks. I was the operational lead and the chair quired to administer medicine in some circumstances and the was the lead Director of Public Health. The resultant plan was a need to re-license retired medical professionals to reinforce the complex of multi-agency integration designed to manage an event of front line. unprecedented morbidity and mortality. These were just part of a dystopia of social and economic impacts We covered everything from: we aimed to mitigate through this strategic plan and individual • diagnostics agency plans. The plan was tested to a government model, with the • barrier nursing tongue-in-cheek name of ‘Exercise Coldplay’, in a daylong multi- agency event that included the Chief Constable of Suffolk • community testing Constabulary and the Lead Chief Executive of the Suffolk Primary • contact tracking and tracing Care Trusts. • the storage and distribution of anti-viral medicine It was a good day, the pinnacle of my time with the PCTs. Every agency understood their operational and strategic roles and how they • the radical reduction in public services due to absenteeism from linked with the Strategic Coordinating Group and its work streams. death, illness, dependent care and childcare resulting from the We thought we had it covered... closure of schools

isolate, but time scales are too incident specific to be quoted. Social distancing is mentioned, Can you prepare for but there is no context for the effective shutting down of society. Plans talk about finance in the context of collating incident expenses in the hope that the Bellwin Scheme is operating and the ‘unknown in generous mood (9), but macro-economic im- pacts are not specified, again, because they cannot be; the local impact of national econom- unknowns’? ic stratagem, influenced by a Gordian knot of international market and geopolitical factors, cannot be measured. All we have is a note in ut did we? Only time would tell whether a set of plans and an passing that planners should take these factors into account. B exercise format heavily invested in hypotheses, would stand up in Further, organisations and services increasingly have mechanisms the face of unforeseeable macro level socio-economics: for identifying the vulnerable within their aegis and can filter accord- - the fine balance between keeping the population safe and avoiding ing to incident parameters. Even in pandemics known for their blind the abyss of deep and enduring recession whole-society democratic and – maintaining the equilibrium of a naturally divergent techno-political egalitarian distribution, we know duality, and harmonising the interpretive variances and risk appetites risks are exacerbated for those with of society. immunosuppression, a range of pre Or whether it was a case of the ‘Lacuna Paradox’ writ large? -existing conditions, age, and It took until Covid-19 to expose the existence and extent of the living in socially deprived ‘Lacuna’ – the gaps - in previous pandemic planning. The level of areas or on the edge of society, assumption in planning without precedent inevitably includes an like the homeless. abundance of what Donald Rumsfeld described as ‘known-unknowns’ All these can be (and have and ‘unknown-unknowns’ (8), a set of premises brilliantly articulated been) picked up at the by Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s book Black Swan - The Impact of the appropriate agency Highly Improbable (2007). level. But, the novel 20th century pandemic epidemiology had been prodigiously studied, characteristics of a subjected to Bayes theorem and myriad modelling exercises. We virus make knewHas much about EPS likely gotwave patterns, your modes right of transmission address? and impossible the potentialDO WE morbidity have your and mortalityup to date rates. contact But many details? of the socio- calculus for political If you impacts change simply email could addresses not be quantified. (usually through a change in employment), anticipating a Localhome authority address, plans or refer contact to voluntary telephone isolation number, for symptomatic please inform us to update host of anthropological cases and for those sharing those spaces to also voluntarily self- and ethnographic our membership records. variables. Covid-19 If you haven’t received any emails from the EPS for a long time, or if you will be notorious for are wondering why you haven’t received your copy of Resilience magazine its disproportionate It took Covid-19 to expose the effect on sections of (in which case you probably won’t be reading this!) then it may be that the BAME extentyour details of theneed ‘updatingLacuna ’with – theus. gaps - in community, with previous To update pandemicyour contact details planning. simply email The Sue level at EPS head office at: mortality four times higher than in non- of assumption includes an abundance BAME communities [email protected] (10). Future Social of ‘unknown-unknowns’ Policy and Public 

10 l Resilience COVID-19

And, some things are so normal so as not to be noticed or included in risk indices, except possibly at a very low level. PPE is so ubiquitous in normal times that its availability was a given. So, the shock come Covid-19, was that the shortage was unexpected, almost instantaneous, global and sustained. The problem is, though, that even if we had recognised that the whole world would be calling on the same supplies, could planners have come up with a workaround for stock with a shelf life? Sourcing and supplying a marketplace of ever -growing eligibility – from social workers, to teachers, to nursery and childminding staff - has been a massive Covid-19 response issue, especially given the amount of unsuitable stock delivered with forged compliance certificates. Similarly, the supply of oxygen in hospitals was a given, but massive consumption due to its therapeutic effectiveness has seen hospitals coming dangerously close to running out, lead- ing to modifications of treatment thresholds ◼ Rioting in the USA - the level of civil unrest could not be calculated and some hospitals having to install more  Health students will present theses on the blend of cultural, socio capacity, for example, at the Royal Free Hospital in London (11). -economic and epidemiological factors that, inter-alia, created this We didn’t have a concept in planning terms of the collateral impacts level of variance, but its sudden emergence during the response phase of the shutdown of society and economy on mental health, domestic of the crisis added an enormous burden on an already stressed violence, domestic murder and suicide, the likelihood of front-line government to find a proportionate response for a section of society workers suffering from PTSD, or the deaths or worsening health due which, for many, already exists in a perpetual state of social- to delayed diagnoses and treatments of non-Covid illness. inequality, and all the while managing calls for an enquiry into the We knew that elective surgeries and many routine appointments aetiological origins and clinical responses to this aspect of the would be delayed, but not necessarily how to reintegrate a workforce outbreak. largely too exhausted to dive straight into dealing with the backlog, Civil unrest was anticipated as a reaction to disrupted supply chains, or that staff working in A&E might find the apparent hypochondria but, as no one anticipated the extent of the lockdown, no one could of minor ailments trivial in comparison to the literal life and death say how some elements of a permissive and entitled society would fight on Covid’s front line and, thus, struggle to make the transition respond to being told what to do. back to ‘normality’. We didn’t expect policy makers to break their own rules. Or that Repeated exposure to the adrenaline rush of personal jeopardy can nursing, social care or pharmacy staff to be verbally and physically be addictive and make ‘business as normal’ bathetic and depressing. assaulted. We didn’t expect Police, while attempting to enforce social The psychosocial support of workers across the panoply of respond- distancing rules, to be spat at by people claiming to be infected. ers will be needed for years to come. Neither did we anticipate an immediate risk to the supply chain, due And in terms of recovery taking years, there was absolutely no idea to an unseemly outburst of misanthropic individualism that emptied of what would be involved in rebuilding society, its institutions, shelves of loo roll and pasta within seconds of lifestyle restrictions organisations, industry, the job market or how long it would take. being announced.

literal interpretation of the prevalent risk of a particular activity or system, but maybe also an acknowledgement of the cognitive Planning for the ‘slow limits of understanding the multiplicity of something new and/or complex. Anything beyond reasonable becomes too hypothetical to qualify. burn’ incident And something of an existential challenge to pandemic planning is maintaining interest if the apocalypse is delayed, or not very or me, the Lacuna Paradox is all these things with the added apocalyptic when it comes. F delimiting effect of epic scale beyond the scope of experiential The 1918 pandemic killed between 20-50 million; 1957 between 1 heuristics, imagination and extant capacity within LRF communities. million and 2 million, and 1968 between 1 million and 4 million (14). Trying to plan beyond a certain point simply induces a stasis of The 2009 ‘Swine Flut’ pandemic was small in comparison, perhaps incredulity in the face of multitudinous variables too esoteric to killing 203,000 globally (15), with the UK only experiencing 138 articulate in the rationalistic language of response plans. deaths; 0.026% of the reported 540,000 cases (16). Not for nothing did contract law introduce the concept of ‘Force By this time, I was working for my local authority. I remember Majeure’ for those events that are too big to comprehend or control. being very busy with a couple of colleagues for about three weeks, Buncefield - the explosion at the Hertfordshire oil storage depot on 11 mostly data gathering for government returns, but I don’t recall any  December 2005 (12) - may be an example of delimited planning for a manageable scale. Why plan for one tank catching fire rather than the whole site of 23 tanks, or the 20 that did? That is not a comment on Trying to plan beyond a certain point the skill and tenacity of planners, operators and responders, but an simply induces a stasis of incredulity in observation that another delimiter may be the culture of adopting the Health and Safety Executive ethos of implementing reasonable plans the face of multitudinous variables for reasonably foreseeable events (13). Reasonable would seem to be a

Resilience l 11 COVID-19

Slow burn incidents, like pandemics, tend not to be more deliberative and the energy and urgency required by big bang events is hard to replicate

business or societal effects. This is not to minimise a single death. That significantly less people to replicate. And, being decision makers and delegators in business as died in 2009 than in any preceding pandemic of the past 100 years is normal mode, some executives and boards might think that their role welcome, but nonetheless presented a dichotomy for policy makers. in a crisis is just more of the same. Pandemic flu sits at the top of the National Risk Register (17), but the The National Leadership Centre opened in 2019 with the purpose of reality of the 2009 experience for public sector organisations guiding the country’s top public service leaders thorough a grappling with austerity was that with less impact than seasonal flu, programme designed to eliminate barriers to success and broaden time and resources spent on pandemic planning was not seen as thinking beyond and above sectorial norms (18). necessarily a good investment. Time will tell if Covid-19 decision making has benefitted from Not only that, pandemics had been endlessly exercised since 2005 lessons from 2009 and the experience of the first cohort of and limited by so many caveats and notionality, driven by known NLP students. unknowns, unknown unknowns and a general inability to massage such a vastness of scope and scale into the few hours available, that the effect on participants with many other priorities was apathy at best and avoidance at worst. And, pandemic flu training and exercising, for all its monographic ubiquity, wasn’t necessarily reaching the right audience. Government ◼ ABOVE: at the ready in 1918. The Spanish Flu pandemic killed was concerned enough about the quality of local decision making at between 20 - 50 million people. Trust executive and board level during the 2009 pandemic, that a BELOW: Training and exercising for the 21st century response. team of 10 members of the National Pandemic Response Team worked on rota to act as advisors to Trusts and agencies as they needed it. A focus on operational milieu appeared to obscure the fact that executive leaders undertaking roles at the strategic / gold level were not prepared. Gold training can be seen as a challenge because, once a decision is taken, its interpretation, commu- nication and operation are done at silver and bronze levels, where there tends to be a lot more going on. Slow burn incidents, like pandemics, tend not to be more deliberative and the energy and urgency required by big bang events is hard 12 l Resilience COVID-19

The challenges ahead n conclusion, the Lacuna Paradox exists due to a number of I enduring barriers to effective pandemic planning and preparation. In spite of its profile on the National Risk Register and a lot of activity in 2005 and beyond, the fact that 2009 impacts were much less severe than planned for, combined with the low frequency of pandemics in general, has perhaps seen a reduction in pandemic planning in some areas in recent times, particularly in the context of austerity management within the public sector. Conversely, pandemic’s topicality caused its use as a training scenario to be bled dry and overly focused on the operational aspect, creating a knowledge and skills gap in senior leaders. The uncertainties of epidemiological novelty, the response of the public to social controls and government’s ability to balance public safety and economic stability have presented challenges hard to conceptualise and plan for except in the abstract, or as de minimis statements of acknowledgement in plans for which data is not available until the event is in progress. Restoring the supply of clinical consumables created a huge ◼ Clapping for the NHS - the response of the public to social control is hard to problem for government and local authorities in the response. predict and plan for In the inter-pandemic period, the challenge will be one of economics and the balance of stockpiling items with a shelf life against an event of varied low frequency, but never less than 10 The uncertainties of epidemiological years, since 1918. Abstracting the best learning from Covid-19 should involve an novelty, the response of the public to honest look at the quality of leadership and decision making and how responses were managed across organisations, workstreams, the social controls and government’s tactical and strategic co-ordinating structures. ability to balance public safety and There is a good chance that many of us involved in this pandemic will not be working when the next one comes along, but lessons economic stability have presented gleaned from a crisis of this scale and duration have application to any crises. Embedding lessons and finding a way to train more challenges hard to conceptualize and inclusively and realistically are fundamental to relegating the Lacuna Paradox to a thing of the past. ◼ plan for, except in the abstract

1. World Health Organisation References https://www.who.int/ith/diseases/sars/en/ 10. The Lancet https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600 2. National Center for Biotechnology Information (20)30228-9/fulltext https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3323341/ 11. Evening Standard 3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3080360/ https://www.standard.co.uk/news/health/oxygen-almost-ran-out- royal-free-london-nhs-coronavirus-a4434696.html 4. Journal of Theoretical Biology https://www.sciencedirect.com/ science/article/pii/S0022519303002285 12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buncefield_fire

5. New York Times 13. HSE https://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/theory/alarp1.htm https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/13/weekinreview/china- discovers-secrecy-is-expensive.html 14. https://www.britannica.com/science/pandemic

6. World Health Organisationhttps://www.who.int/ 15. Live Science https://www.livescience.com/41539-2009-swine-flu- neglected_diseases/news/ death-toll-higher.html Fifteen_years_after_the_passing_Dr_Carlo_Urbani/en/ 16. NHS https://www.nhs.uk/news/cancer/swine-flu-deaths- 7. HM Gov - Emergency Preparednesshttps:// examined/ assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/ uploads/attachment_data/file/61039/Chapter-16-final-post- 17. HM Gov consultCCS_amends_16042012.pdf https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/ system/uploads/attachment_data/file/644968/ 8. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Donald-Rumsfeld UK_National_Risk_Register_2017.pdf 9. HM Gov https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bellwin-scheme- 18. National Leadership Centre guidance-notes-for-claims https://www.nationalleadership.gov.uk/static/nlc-programme- brochure.pdf

Resilience l 13 COVID-19

AMONG his many roles as a Track and trace - senior Police Officer in the UK, PETER DAVIES was heavily balancing public safety and involved in strategic safety partnerships and contingency privacy in the mobile digital age planning, and commanded numerous real and exercised scenarios. don’t think we’d be far wrong to say that Covid-19 is the largest By Peter Davies and most impactful “critical incident” since the term was invented. He now works as an I independent consultant As countries, corporates and citizens globally seek to mitigate the Competence ongoing risks and navigate the ‘new normal’, we are seeing applying digital technology to This is the simple question - applications for mobile data technology in this context proliferate. ‘Will this measure (be it the the cause of public safety. While the technology is fresh and its adaptation to this context is a Communications Data Bill, theoretically attractive proposition, there are naturally a number of a Track & Trace App, or technical challenges to overcome when translating vision into reality. something else) actually achieve what it is designed to achieve?’ There are also some almost traditional issues to address. In the context of an App, important questions are already being One way or another for over three decades, I have been involved in asked about the critical mass of users required for it to have any navigating the tension between maximum public safety and positive effect. To be effective, such an App would have to sit within maximum public privacy, going back to the pre-digital age when a complex technical and operational framework - and therefore to (allegedly) steaming envelopes open and tapping real telephone establish “competence”, these dependencies will need to be deemed cables were the most effective tools of interception. “competent” too. I presided over the first murder investigation to secure convictions For example, an App whose main outcome is to direct people at based on mobile telephone geolocation. risk into a testing and confinement regime will struggle for legitimacy Also in my career, I have overseen complex operations which if those regimes themselves are flawed or found wanting. protected and safeguarded many children and young people.

Agonisingly, these operations could have protected even more. With that in mind, I gave evidence to a succession of Parliamentary Trust and Accountability Committees revising a decade-old draft of legislation on the capture This is a subjective issue and, as such, is not immune from political and retention of masses of communications data, and how this data influences. But aside from the wider political debate (which arguably can - with safeguards - be made accessible to the relevant has hardly started), trust and confidence in the design and authorities. I have also lectured a few generations of Senior implemented practice of any measure which, by its nature, must Investigators about how to balance solving complex cases with mediate the tensions between privacy and safety are key. human rights considerations. Already, the National Cyber Security Centre has gone to considera- So, for the benefit of anyone looking to gain public support for ble lengths to explain the technical architecture and key design  anything like a new ‘Track and Trace’ App, therefore balancing those tensions afresh in a new context, here is the essence of what I have learned. Without legitimacy , an App will THE key to any proposed measure that trades off safety struggle to gain widespread against privacy is its legitimacy. This is a complex and sub- jective issue which relies as much on pre-existing trust and acceptance, and its use will therefore 1 confidence in authorities and governments, as it does on the details of the measure itself. be limited Without legitimacy, the proposal will struggle for support into legislation. Additionally, an App that allows continu- ous geolocation of an individual depends on the individual’s preparedness to share that data. Legitimacy has never been more important and, without it, any App will struggle to gain widespread acceptance (and without widespread acceptance, use will be limited - therefore curtailing any potential positive effect).

LEGITIMACY can be broken down into four components: • Competence 2 • Trust and accountability • Creep prevention • and what I call Greater opposing risk

◼ The key to any track and trace measure that trades off safety against privacy is its legitimacy 14 l Resilience COVID-19

The counterpoint risks are asymmetrical and do not need to be specifed in detail, which makes it harder to address them. But you should not underestimate the instinctive attachment people have to the principle of privacy

 decisions of a Track and Trace App, which is impressive. But accountability will have to be a prominent and recurring feature as the plan develops: watch out for the publication of a Data Protection Impact Assessment, and the examination processes of a Parliament which may see itself as the rightful keeper of the safety / privacy balance.

Creep prevention The issue here is that a tool developed for good, however competent and trustworthy when used for that purpose, could feasibly - once it exists - start to be used in other applications for which it was never legitimised. ◼ Accountability will have to be a prominent feature as a track This is seldom, if ever, a thought in the minds of the people devel- and trace plan emerges oping these proposals. It’s a good thing when you think about it - but it is quite hard to eliminate the possibility that such “mission creep” Greater opposing risk might occur. The argument here is that, whatever the benefits that a given measure For example, the App might be secure and anonymised while my might bring, they are not worth it for the risks that will also mobile phone is in my possession - but what if: accompany them. This depends on the extent to which the measure • my phone, or the data within it, is stolen or appropriated? has stood up to examination on the issues of Competence, Trust, and • I could use the App to prove my innocence of a crime - to show Creep - the less well it scores on those, the harder it is to clear this that I was nowhere near where an event took place at the relevant final hurdle. time - why should I not be able to do that, if I was subject to Typically, the counterpoint risks are asymmetrical and do not need accusation? to be specified in detail, which makes it harder to address them. • similarly, if the mobile phone of a suspect in a serious crime But I would not underestimate the instinctive attachment people investigation could be interrogated for such data, would it be have to the principle of privacy, even when a compelling case can be reasonable to expect this data to be left unexplored? made that sacrificing a small fraction of it would be in their best in- terests. • if you could prevent a terrorist attack by finding out everyone Even if the battle for minds can be won, the battle for hearts is the your target had been in proximity with over the last week, and the harder challenge. App is what gives you that chance, would you deny yourself the chance to do that? IN THE United Kingdom and across the world, we must Or if there is another epidemic / pandemic risk in future - as we applaud and support the efforts being made to protect current surely must plan for - is my permission for a specific version of a and future generations from the present pandemic, the specific App, for the purpose of protecting myself and others from hardships that it may inflict on societies and their economies, Covid-19, enough for it to be used to protect people from the next 3 and from similar threats yet to come. equivalent? Every opportunity to do this must be researched and exploited - lives will otherwise be lost. ◼ Tracing and testing in the US Yet even with the stakes so high, no one can assume that the perennial challenges in balancing privacy with safety won’t apply. Digital technology undoubtedly provides new opportunities, but it also creates new threats. To realise the former, one must under- stand and overcome the latter. Doing this effectively, and in a way that can truly help people, requires an understanding of both technical capability and human sensibility. That is, indeed, a challenge. ◼

Even with the stakes so high, no one can assume that the challenges in balancing privacy with safety won’t apply. Digital technology undoubtedly provides new opportunities, but it also creates new threats Resilience l 15 COVID-19

Lessons learned… Barriers to implementing change ll lessons learned reviews contain about lessons A recommendations and/or actions, both of which generally mean something needs to ANDREW COUPER be changed. began his opera- The more people that are involved in learned! designing, agreeing to and implementing the tional and training change, the more challenging it becomes. By Andrew Couper career in the Army, Barriers to change always relate to fear of: specialising in une saw the third anniversary of the Transportation, • loss of influence (personal, depart- J Grenfell Tower fire which has prompted before roles with mental, organisational) a number of questions about how many of Grampian Police the lessons learned from the incident have • loss of budget (personal, departmental, and the Scottish been implemented. organisational) The COVID 19 response has also government. He moved into crisis • loss of job or, responsibilities generated scrutiny of Government management consultancy with a • just fear of having to learn something, or sponsored exercises of Pandemic Flu plans company delivering services mainly to work with something, or someone, new in England and Scotland and again raises the oil and gas sector worldwide, in- and unfamiliar. questions about whether lessons could have cluding three years in South East Asia. been learned and implemented. He went onto become Head of Crisis I have observed the following impact these Why is it that so much time and effort goes Management for the world’s biggest barriers have on making significant change into following the internationally recognised within organisations: best practice of learning lessons from travel company, TUI, involving TUI’s cruise ships, airline, tour operations and incidents, but frequently meaningful 1 Within a management grouping, its changes fail to be made, requiring the same internal business continuity, and was a relatively easy to get common agreement lessons to be highlighted the next time a regular presenter for ABTA on crisis that a problem exists and that change needs similar incident takes place? management. . to made. It is much more difficult to get As I, and no doubt many other emergency He now owns and operates common understanding of exactly what the planning professionals, begin to look at problem is and the actions each part of the lessons learned from the initial part of the Breakwater, an Emergency Response and Crisis Management consultancy, management grouping needs to take to COVID 19 response, I am wary of being resolve it. drawn into producing yet another detailed based in both London and report with many recommendations on the Aberdeenshire. incident response, lots of which could have 2 Management teams like to go for, ‘low been made before, many of which will have hanging fruit’, or ‘easy fixes’ because it involves minor change, or change which can either not been effectively implemented, or How do we implement not been implemented at all. be managed within one specific area of So that set me thinking, “what lessons have lessons from incidents? management without requiring others to I learned about lessons learned reviews”, n the world of emergency management, change. and can I do this better? I safety and incident response, all the This kind of change is really important, significant improvements we have seen, particularly at an operational level and good come from successfully identifying where operations managers will identify lessons risk exists, where we are getting our plan- and make changes to routine operations ning, preparation and operations wrong and often before formal reports are released, and what we need to improve. well before they are required to change by Small changes to improve operating regulations. procedure happen regularly in most This kind of change is not so good when it Organisations. Sadly however, all too often, is done at the expense of addressing the root significant change only takes place after a causes of problems which require difficult, damaging incident has occurred, rather than and sometimes expensive, changes to be when a potential incident may have been made. identified through research, training, In the worst cases, management teams exercising and monitoring near misses. identify the need to ‘do something’ and Even when damaging incidents have producing lessons learned reports and occurred, and regulations to prevent such a implementing lots of small changes meets thing happening again, or at least lower the that requirement without addressing the root likelihood of them happening again, have causes of a problem which gets filed under been put in place, there are still countless ‘all too difficult’. examples of organisations either: failing to make the required changes, failing to sustain 3 Measuring the effectiveness of preventive changes or, only ineffectively implementing action, and justifying the cost of the changes required. Why? implementing it, is difficult. How do you prove an individual’s, or team’s actions are being effective in pre- ◼ June saw the third anniversary of venting an incident occurring when you are Grenfell - what lessons have been assigning Key Point Indicators, justifying learned? resilience/safety team budgets, or the  16 l Resilience COVID-19



 number or people in the team? approach I am now This is particularly the case when you can finding to be most How the leadership of an organisation indicate that doing nothing, combined with effective at imple- the law of probability, means you will see menting significant views and appreciates risk will impact the same outcome, as investing in safety/ changes that need resilience (incidents not occurring), until it to be made to on the level of their support to all goes horribly wrong of course! improve an organi- Easily measured outcomes are often the sation’s resilience : proposed changes to reason why organisations focus on lower improve resilience level, easily measured safety targets such as ◼ Conduct trips and falls, rather than improving difficult reviews with the to measure organisational resilience. full support of the senior management. to significant cultural change which may Discuss with them what they want to achieve take a number of years to embed. 4 Change in leadership, and/or a change in before starting. Try to embed risk and economic circumstance, can lead to changes organisational resilience into business ◼ Express the recommendations based on in the appreciation of risk. strategy, looking forwards at continuously the root causes, as risks, or a single risk to In business terms, increasing ‘risk appetite’ improving the business, rather than trying to the organisation, and try and get it into the can be seen as a deliberate, calculated, prepare the organisation to ‘fight the last corporate risk register. Where such a positive action to take advantage of battle’ or, worst case, producing plans and document exists, there is generally an opportunities. In resilience terms, ‘risk reviews ‘to be seen to be doing something’. established audit process around the risks acceptance’ generally means there isn’t a which engages senior management in the choice to get rid of the risk and some action ◼ Identify the root cause of the issue. delivery of the controls to the risks. If a has to be taken to mitigate, or control it. Insufficient training and exercising is corporate risk register and a risk How the leadership of an organisation frequently a major issue, as is poor management culture does not exist, that may views and appreciates risk will impact on the communication. Training is based on the be one of the root causes of the incident. level of their support to proposed changes to plans, are they easy to follow, or overly If you can get the recommendation improve resilience. complicated and difficult to train? included as a strategic objective, or linked to an existing strategic objective, even better. ◼ Try and keep the main recommendations Making changes that stick to addressing no more than about three big ◼ Operational risks, the ‘quick fixes’ ased on the lessons I have learned about root causes. These should be issues relating should ideally be part of an embedded B lessons learned reviews, this is the Quality Management System which records all incidents and near misses, requires actions to be taken by identified persons and audits the effectiveness of the actions. These can be part of the main lessons learned review, but included as a detailed separate part, section or Annex, with clear allocation of actions to individuals and a clear process to confirm action has been taken.

Does this approach work any better than others in achieving significant change? I don’t know is the honest answer, but I do know from painful experience the negative impact of failure to recognise the need to change and the barriers to implementing change, which I hope my fellow professionals will also recognise. I also hope that by describing some of the barriers to change, it may help some emergency planners having to go through the same experiences. ◼

Resilience l 17 COVID-19

who have made adjustments to working practices or gone on to require their Health and Safety workforce to stay at home. Apart from this, much of the UK’s legislation is based upon European directives, such as the Management of around the world Health and Safety at Work Regulations. These European regulations require companies to “evaluate, avoid, and reduce workplace risks”.

Germany THIS is another European country often celebrated for its strong health and safety record. According to the HSE, Germany was one of the countries with the fewest workplace injuries in 2016: 0.63 per 100,000 employees. In this particular year, only Cyprus, the UK, and Sweden, had a better record. There are currently initiatives in place in Germany that aim to “modernise the German occupational health and safety system”, such as the Joint German Occupa- tional Safety and Health Strategy (GDA). The GDA offers employers incentives to strengthen workplace health and safety in order to put the control in the hands of individual companies (in a similar way to the UK). More specifically, and in a clear attempt to make sure individuals take responsibility, Germany’s occupational health and safety legislation imposes specific responsibilities on directors in parallel to those imposed on ◼ Covid-19 has brought new challenges employees. This figure is among the lowest companies. to health and safety in the workplace in Europe — even other large economies Recently, Germany has updated existing such as France, Germany, and Spain en- OSH regulations in light of the Covid-19 counter a higher rate of workplace injuries. outbreak. Their ‘COVID-19 Standard’ he Covid-19 pandemic that has swept Our OSH (Occupational Safety and includes such regulations as: T across the world over recent months has Health) legislation is largely built from the • Workers must be at least 1.5 metres shed light on health and safety measures foundations of the Health and Safety at away from one another in the workplace around the globe. Needless to say, some Work Act of 1974. In essence, this law is • Facemasks should be provided and countries have proved to be much more based upon the principle that “those who worn when contact is unavoidable prepared, and their approach has paid off create risks for employees or others in the tenfold. course of carrying out work activities are • Tools and other equipment should be Different regions have different standards responsible for controlling those risks.”. personal wherever possible — when when it comes to health and safety in the We can certainly see that last sentiment shared, they should be cleaned workplace. The recent shipment of PPE that reflected in the response to the Covid-19 thoroughly. landed in the UK from Turkey is a stark outbreak in the UK, in which a lot of reminder of this — some 400,000 surgical discrepancy has been left with individual India gowns that were ordered from Turkey fell employers (or ‘those who create the risk’), INDIA’S health and safety record is short of British safety standards. substantially less impressive than that of This is why there are independent organi- many European countries. In 2017, it was sations at work who can certify health and reported that 48,000 workers in India die safety procedures on an international basis. due to occupational accidents every year. Let’s take a closer look at which countries However, their OSH health and safety are taking progressive measures to protect measures are gradually improving as their workers, and what regulations every procedures for development have been put country must adhere to. in place over the years. India embarked upon an OSH develop- UK ment programme in 2012, which aims to IN THE UK, we’ve grown accustomed to “intervene and transform the existing state the term ‘health and safety gone mad’ of OSH in both formal and informal which, although often said with a roll of the sectors”. They have also introduced eyes, is reflected in our positive health and legislation outlining protection against safety record. particular hazards in order to strive towards In 2016, the UK standardised rate of inju- a safer working environment.

ries in the workplace was 0.53 per 100,000  18 l Resilience COVID-19

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in each country, some standards must be followed internationally, especially in certain high-risk occupational areas such as electro mechanical engineering, which lays out its own sets of legislation such as the current European harmonised ATEX standards. These are in place to ensure the safe operation of procedures such as electric motor rewinding. According to the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission), there are multiple globally recognised standards and certifications that can be used to prove compliance with global health and safety procedures. A voluntary system, the IEC provides a ◼  USA Although there are many differences in means of proving this compliance, occupational safety legislation in each country, ACCORDING to the Bureau of Labor meaning that organisations can present their Statistics, there were 2.8 million non-fatal there are some international standards in certain industries certification rather than having to undergo workplace injuries and illnesses reported in further testing. the USA in 2018 (a figure that remained to run their own OSH-approved programmes In the age of the coronavirus, health and unchanged from the previous year). — 17 states currently have OSH plans. safety regulations are under the microscope The size of America means that the One shortcoming in the USA’s OSH act is more than ever before. In the coming years, regulations vary slightly from state to state, it will certainly be interesting to see how but health and safety regulations are regulat- that some employees fall through the gaps of the law, potentially jeopardising their safety. each country adapts in the wake of the ed by the Occupational Safety and Health pandemic, and how international standards Administration (OSHA), or specific OSHA Miners, some transportation workers, many public employees, and the self-employed do adapt the protect global citizens. approved state plans. not fall under this law’s jurisdiction. The overarching act which governs occupa- This report was produced by tional health and safety in the USA is the * * * Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act Mediaworks in conjunction with 1970. In turn, the OSH act allows each stat DESPITE the differences in OSH legislation Houghton International ◼

Useful Sources https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-52344299 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52569364 https://www.iecex.com/information/about-iecex/ https://www.csagroupuk.org/services/ex-product-certification-approvals/iecex/ https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/osh-india-transforming-indias-workplace-safety-and-health-629359063.html https://www.ilo.org/dyn/natlex/natlex4.listResults?p_lang=en&p_country=IND&p_classification=14.01 https://www.ilo.org/dyn/legosh/en/f?p=14100:1100:0::NO::P1100_ISO_CODE3,P1100_YEAR:GBR,2013 https://www.ituc-csi.org/IMG/pdf/2019-06-ituc-global-rights-index-2019-report-en-2.pdf https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=bdf73d14-dde5-4eef-886c-c0edce78e460 https://www.hse.gov.uk/Statistics/european/european-comparisons.pdf https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/48000-die-due-to-occupational-accidents-yearly-study/ articleshow/61725283.cms https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cfoi.pdf https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/safety-health http://www.gda-portal.de/EN/GDA/GDA.html https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr535.pdf https://www.hse.gov.uk/offshore/infosheets/is3-2010.htm

Resilience l 19 COVID-19

Working together in Lincolnshire Conwy County WHAT do you get when you cross a • Ensured the LRF Chair had a daily Lincolnshire police communications special- Borough Council lunchtime slot on Radio Lincolnshire, CONWY has carried out a series of initia- ist with an Environment Agency flood and spoke with other local media outlets resilience engagement advisor? Natural co- too tives during the Covid-19 pandemic. chairs for the Covid-19 Warning and Eirian Holland, the authority’s Principal Informing Cell for the Lincolnshire Resili- • Provided daily updates to wider W&I PRO reports on some of the innovative colleagues ence Forum, of course! What better combi- steps being taken: nation could you have? • Maximised existing LRF social media Community Support Service: Over 200 Actually, it worked really well. It didn’t channels to reach communities, partners Council staff redeployed to provide an and the media – including creation of a matter that they weren’t health communica- essential community support service. volunteers’ social media plan and social tions experts, and meant health colleagues YsCŴL Project: Venue Cymru Theatre and could rightly focus more directly on the media report Conference Centre, supported by Conwy response. • Created a weekly newsletter for the new Arts Trust, ran a 10 week project supporting It did take time to get the core W&I cell up emerging groups of volunteers to help and running, and, while not exactly ‘plain share their stories and ideas home schooling. Emergency Accommodation: self-contained sailing’, it turned out to have the perfect Produced a regular Latest News e-update • cabins have been provided for rough combination of team members from across from the LRF Chair to go out to part- partner organisations, that worked well to- ners, elected members and the media to sleepers, to help people to self-isolate, gether to ensure communications were as update on activity whilst receiving support from the relevant good as it was going to be, around some- agencies. thing no one had ever really envisaged or What would they do differently next time? Videos: in-house production of over 30 exercised fully before. The challenges were: • Set up standard media monitoring/ videos (with over 230,000 views), providing • Working remotely, and not together in evaluation protocols to help see whether a trusted source of information. They have our usual County Emergency Centre messages were being used and under- been used to: • Not arranging any face to face meetings stood – whatever the emergency • educate residents as to what the with communities • Get some training for Resilience Direct Council is doing to maintain essential • No single way that suited all partners to – seems like it’s here to stay and matters services remain in touch, rather a myriad of for future learning! • provide key information on service Zoom, conference calls, Houseparty, • Have a dedicated team in place ready for provision Facetime, Microsoft teams etc any emergency • promote positive stories and saying • No dedicated team readily available to thank you to key workers and the give support By Rachael McMahon community for working together Engagement Advisor, So what did they do? Environment Agency

• Foreign actors have engaged in targeted EU steps up campaign against influence operations and disinformation campaigns in the EU, its neighbourhood, and globally. ‘disinformation’ on social media It reports it is stepping up its rebuttal plat- THE European Union has stepped up its viruses such as SARS and MERS. forms, and has applauded the action taken so campaign against disinformation, as there Claims that ‘5G installations would be far by the main social media platforms:. has been a huge rise in ‘fake news’, hoaxes spreading the virus’ which has led to attacks and misinformation across Europe during the on masts throughout Europe, including the pandemic. UK: there is no evidence of this whatsoever. • Twitter has seen a 45% increase in The EU report that bad actors are Iran for example has no 5G installations yet usage of Twitter Moments, and has “…breeding on the fertile ground of people’s has suffered over 40,000 deaths in the challenged more than 3.4 million most basic anxieties and the rapidly pandemic. suspicious accounts targeting corona changing news cycle. Misleading healthcare The EU say five issues about virus discussions. information, dangerous hoaxes with false disinformation need to be understood: • The Facebook and Instagram Info hubs claims, conspiracy theories and consumer • Content may not be illegal as defined by have directed more than 2 billion people fraud endanger public health. “ law, but still harmful. to resources from health authorities The ‘big three’ they have encountered are: through their COVID-19 Information - False claims such as ‘drinking bleach or • It can range from disinformation Center. pure alcohol can cure the coronavirus (defined as intentional) to misinformation. • Google’s YouTube has reviewed over infections’: Belgium’s Poison Control Centre 100,000 videos related to dangerous or has recorded an increase of 15 per cent in the • It can include misleading healthcare misleading coronavirus information, and number of bleach-related incidents. information, consumer fraud, cyber- has removed over 15,000 of them. crime, illegal hate speech as well as - Conspiracy theories, such as the claim that • Microsoft put in place an information coronavirus is ‘an infection caused by the targeted influence operations by foreign actors. panel on LinkedIn and an updated one- world’s elites for reducing population stop shop for news related to coronavirus growth’: scientific evidence clearly shows • The motivation behind it can range from called the Daily Rundown, reaching 96 the virus comes from a family of viruses economic gain (online scams) through to million people daily. originating in animals that include other causing public harm. 20 l Resilience FLOOD RESILIENCE

By Shelley Evans Project Manager The Flood CPR Yorkshire PFR Pathfinder Project

he Yorkshire Future Flood Resilience T Pathfinder Project is a DEFRA- Campaign commissioned initiative led by the City of York Council, and is partnered with JBA Consulting and iCASP, the evaluators of the Project, as well as Hull and Haltemprice’s Living with Water partnership. The Pathfinder Project aims to identify, through qualitative and quantitative data collection, any barriers to the uptake of Property Flood Resilience (PFR) across all stakeholder groups and across Yorkshire. This evidence will then be used to develop and deliver ways to overcome the obstacles raised by stakeholders, to help increase levels of resilience to future flooding in Yorkshire. The Living with Water partnership consists of Hull City Council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency. The purpose of the partnership is to look at flood risk more holistically together rather than in isolation depending on the source of flood risk- river, tide, overland flows, Sewer - and to create an environment where we can all live with water. Previous projects delivered by the Living with Water partnership include:

• The ‘Hulltimate Challenge’ flood awareness obstacle course. • The Waterline Business Summit to promote decarbonisation and environ- mentally sustainable economic growth. • Living with Water lessons and CHECK assemblies targeted at key stage 1-3 primary schools which fit in with the curriculum and can be booked by schools.

The aim of the Pathfinder Project and Living with Water partnership is to work with communities to increase their knowledge on flood risk and resilience and to help people understand the steps they can take to help themselves feel less vulnerable PREPARE to the risks and therefore minimising the devastating impacts. This is a difficult task as unlike home security, or fire, the majority of people assume that it is someone else’s responsibility to prevent flooding and not their own responsibility. Due to the current Covid-19 situation, the focus of the Pathfinder’s work is online engagement, with a website to signpost the public to further sources of information and REGISTER support about PFR. This is currently under development.

Resilience l 21 FLOOD RESILIENCE

THE Living with Water partnership and the Pathfinder Project will be launching their Flood Check, Prepare and Register - CPR campaign on the websites and social media channels in July 2020. Different key messages about flood resilience, based around the letters C, P and R, will be shared each month over 12 months from July 2020, along with a range of resources for further information and guidance. The Flood CPR campaign aims to bring flood resilience to a wider audience through quick, relatable monthly messages and engaging interactive challenges, empowering Yorkshire’s residents and businesses to understand their flood risk and take informed action. It will run actively from July 2020 until July 2021, with different Flood CPR messages and resources released each month. Anyone can participate at any time.

You can follow the Flood CPR campaign online at www.livingwithwater.co.uk, or via Twitter at @YorkshirePFR and @LivingWithH2O, and we would welcome your support by joining us to share the Flood CPR message and help us all “live with water”.

What is the Yorkshire Pathfinder project?

he Yorkshire Property Flood Resilience Pathfinder is one of three Defra-commissioned T projects running between September 2019 and March 2021. The other Pathfinder projects are:

• Oxford-Cambridge Pathfinder • The South West Partnership (Devon and Cornwall) Pathfinder

The Yorkshire Pathfinder - led by Steve Wragg, Flood Risk Manager from the City of York Council - is a collaboration of professionals from the private, public and academic sector, which is being project managed on behalf of the Yorkshire Integrated Catchment Solutions Partnership (iCASP) by Shelley Evans, Senior Flood Resilience Emergency Planner from JBA Consulting, and Secretary of the recently launched EPS Flood Resilience PWG. Making the nation resilient to floods

SHELLEY EVANS and STEVE WRAGG recently presented on the latest developments in the Yorkshire Property Flood Resilience Pathfinder Project, as part of a CIWEM-hosted webinar: How to make a nation resilient to flood.

To view the webinar please visit on the CIWEM You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Vkw_LCH- i8o&feature=youtu.be The aim is to identify through qualitative and quantitative data collection what barriers exist to the uptake of Property Flood Resilience (PFR) measures across all stakeholder groups throughout the Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee (RFCC) region.  22 l Resilience FLOOD RESILIENCE

Want to know about the Yorkshire PFR Pathfinder Project?

For more information about the Yorkshire PFR Pathfinder Project, contact Project Manager Shelley Evans on:

[email protected]

Or follow the Project Officers on their Yorkshire Future Flood Resilience Project Twitter page:

@YorkshirePFR

 The evidence from this data will then be How should demonstration projects, educational events and ‘ used by the Project Officers at City of York awareness programmes with at risk communities, building and Council to develop and deliver ways to ‘insurance industries and all public and private professional overcome the stakeholder barriers, to help increase levels of resilience to future services in Yorkshire be undertaken? flooding in Yorkshire. Examples of findings to emerge from the research are: The Pathfinder Project Work Packages: The Yorkshire Pathfinder project is divided Occupancy/Tenancy: Where properties are owned by landlords and into four distinct work packages: occupied by tenants, PFR measures may be put in place by the owner, however the onus is then on the tenant to implement these Work Package measures during a flood event. Another example is in owner- JBA Consulting occupied terraced properties, where PFR ,measures may be in place and iCASP for one or more properties, but if they are not implemented by all properties then flood damage may still occur from neighbouring unprotected properties.

THE1 JBA Consulting and iCASP academic team at the Insurance: Another area highlighted by the research is within the University of Leeds carried out qualitative and quantitative data research across the Yorkshire Regional Flood and Coastal Committee financial sector and raises the question of whether PFR measures (RFCC), benchmarking current knowledge and identifying any are, or can be, included during the reinstatement process of insur- barriers to the uptake of PFR measures across all stakeholder groups. ance claims, to help protect properties from any future flood events? The surveying and interviewing process began in February 2020 and This highlights further issues about intervention at the reinstatement closed 31 May 2020. The following stakeholder groups were stage and also about the cost and funding of PFR measures. targeted:

• Households, businesses or community groups (e.g. landlords, Work Package residents and flood groups) City of York

Property, trade, building suppliers or outlets (e.g. • Council developers, maintenance contractors)

• Financial influencers (e.g. insurance industry, mortgage lenders,

investors) 2 • Flood Risk Management Authorities (e.g. Environment Agency, THIS second phase of the project involves collating existing Lead Local Flood Authority, Water Company) educational and awareness resources around PFR, and developing materials where there are gaps in required information – for example The responses from the surveys and interviews are currently workshops, presentations, a PFR model and demonstration materials in the process of being analysed by the iCASP academic and JBA to showcase PFR and wider flood risk measures. Consulting project team. It also involves developing an online platform to promote a range of Shelley and Steve presented the initial findings from some of the existing online guidance resources on flood risk and PFR to the evidence emerging from the quantitative and public, and co-developing a physical demonstration site at qualitative research in their recent CIWEM webinar: How to make a Wilberforce College with the Living with Water initiative.  nation resilient to flood, where they asked delegates the question: Resilience l 23 FLOOD RESILIENCE

Work Package City of York Council

3  THE third phase of the project will involve hosting an online PFR tool to signpost relevant resources and share local knowledge and experience of flood recovery. Social media platforms will be used to spread awareness of PFR, particularly through campaigns with Partners. Once safe to do so, PFR awareness presentations will be hosted throughout Yorkshire - aimed at a range of recipients including schools, local planning authority officers, developers, the insurance industry, communities etc. A programme of events will be co-delivered with the Wilberforce College Learning Centre

Work Package JBA Consulting and iCASP

4 THE final stage of the project will ask the question: what has changed? This will involve repeating the qualitative and quantitative research carried out in Work Package 1, to evidence and evaluate the impact of the project, and to demonstrate a difference in attitude, perception and uptake of PFR following the materials and exercises in Work Packages 2 and 3.

The Project Officers will also be working with local So what’s next? partners on many flood awareness projects over WITH the close of the survey, and Work Package 1 the summer period, including with Living with on the 31 May 2020, the Pathfinder project team Water, on their Flood CPR Campaign over the will embark on the Work Package 2 as outlined following year, to help increase levels of resilience above. to future flooding in Yorkshire.

24 l Resilience TERRORISM

NEW Occasional Paper was released A by the Royal United Services Institute in May, titled Terrorism and the Mass Terrorism and the Media. It was commissioned by the Metropolitan Police, and produced by Jessica White, a research Fellow within By Bob Wade RUSI’s Terrorism and Conflict Group. mass media It’s purpose was to explore three key questions: will it encourage other demented individuals into copycat attacks? White • Does traditional mass media influence writes: the threat of terrorism by encouraging or discouraging radicalisation, recruitment “Social contagion theory suggests that the and mobilisation to violence? reporting of terrorist events encourages the • Does traditional mass media amplify or spread of terrorist behaviour among like-

suppress the social and psychological minded individuals. This theory is effects of terrorism? sometimes cited to suggest that media • Does the traditional mass media in the reporting of a terrorist attack can be the UK inadvertently advance terrorist tipping point for someone who had objectives? previously been considering carrying out a violent act. Mimetic theory, or the theory of ‘cause’. White writes: With the advent of the asymmetric imitation, suggests that the imitation of terrorism by fundamentalist groups, this is “Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese military certainly a key issue for how the media re- terrorist attacks might occur for the purpose ports such attacks; is that individual who of achieving the same publicity or strategist, famously stated: ‘kill one, drove a car into a crowd of innocent people recognition.” frighten 10,000’. Now, with the advances of someone with serious mental health issues, modern global media, tens of thousands or part of a global terrorist conspiracy? If Strangely, the research states clearly that it quickly turn into millions. The permeation of the latter is the media’s immediate “does not include any analysis of social fear thus grows in modern society. This is assumption then that raises the temperature media”, when it is well understood that the due, at least in part, to the public of the ‘news value’ of the incident, giving it on-line platforms are the main recruiting perception of a dramatic increase in the disproportionate coverage than if it had been sergeants, not the mass media. the former. And by giving it that coverage, That aside, the Paper does raise important threat posed by terrorism (which has been issues around perpetuated by media reporting), even though the likelihood of being directly Was the attack by someone with mental the relationship be- affected is relatively small” . tween emergency health issues, or a terrorist? If the responders and the QUALLY, sloppy, unbalanced media’s immediate assumption is the media, and the media’s E journalism can have a dangerous impact responsibilities in for sections of the community: latter, then that raises the ‘news value’, balanced reporting. giving it disproportionate coverage than Terrorists clearly “… one study found that the disparity of want mass publicity, in coverage of terrorism is so pronounced in if it had been the former order to further their the US that coverage of attacks 

Resilience l 25 TERRORISM

 perpetrated by Muslim terrorists received, on average, 357% more coverage than other attacks. This disparate coverage can encourage the perpetuation of anti-Muslim prejudice and stereotyping, which The media should understand that can often reach a point in the US media that it has major how they frame their story can implications for the formation of public opinion, and therefore on government policy”. produce negative effects, as over- emphasising a threat can advance Some of the comments in White’s paper will have journalists twitching, such as: terrorist objectives

“…the role of the media is as a conduit for terrorist propaganda by offering terrorists the ‘oxygen of publicity’”. ethical practices, alongside more extensive training on the complexity of terrorism issues, informs the discourse used and the This was an oft used phrase during the ‘Troubles’ in Northern Ireland in the 1980s, and led to a clumsy response – namely the way in which journalists and editors choose to frame their reporting amendments to the BBC licensing agreement and the Broadcasting on terrorism. Act in 1988, with a ban being put on the voices being heard of 12 “These choices have ripple effects which can have an impact on named paramilitary organisations. the amplification of fear, the reproduction of prejudice, and the The media still showed the pictures and just dubbed an actor’s inadvertent advancement of terrorist objectives. voice over the top of the person being interviewed. “The key is to find a balanced approach to reducing negative However, White is not advocating returns to broadcasting bans. Rather, White proposes better self- discipline within the media, impact, increasing positive impact, and enshrining media working with the appropriate organisations, similar to the achieve- independence and the public’s right to know”. ◼ ments already made around the issue of suicide:

“For example, the media industry has largely accepted self-imposed restrictions on the way that they report on issues such as suicide. In the UK, this was encouraged by the research of the Samaritans

organisation, which outlined the contribution reporting can make to further incidents of suicide. Their recommendations include lim- iting coverage of the method and individual as well as accompany- ing the story with assistance information to counteract a potential negative impact.”

White points out that several mass media organisations – including the BBC, Reuters and Sky - have adopted practices for reporting on terrorism. These types of changes in practice, include: • Increased attention to humanising the victims • Reduction in the prominence of imagery of the perpetrators • Promotion of narratives of community and cross-community solidarity. • Discretion in using terrorist or extremist-generated media materials.

The Paper has three main key recommendations: • that the media should understand that how they frame their story can produce negative effects • reporting on terrorism needs to be proportionate as overempha- sising the threat could advance terrorist objectives • the media should adopt self-imposed ethical codes of practice on terrorism. As White concludes:

“It is therefore essential that responsible reporting guidelines and

Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese military strategist, famously stated: ‘kill one, frighten 10,000’. Now, with the advances of modern global media, tens of thousands quickly turn into millions

26 l Resilience TERRORISM

Working with the media during the ‘Troubles’ hile Jessica White puts all the emphasis on media W organisations, emergency responders can also help themselves by working with the media. Before joining the resilience sector, I was a journalist - my own experiences as a journalist covering the Troubles in Northern Ireland had shown the importance of working with the media, rather than obstructing them for whatever reason. Those who worked with us media got a good press. Those who didn’t, didn’t. On my very first day in Belfast in 1979, myself and the photographer stumbled upon a British Army bomb disposal team dealing with a suspect parcel. We started taking pictures, but were immediately hauled off by the predecessor to the current Northern Ireland Police Service, the Royal Ulster Constabulary. They were very aggressive, pointing their machine guns in our faces and giving us a stern lecture on how us ‘irresponsible journalists’ were endangering the lives of the security forces, by feeding information to the terrorists and so on, and brusquely sent us on our way. My first face-to-face encounter with the RUC left me with a negative impression of them, to put it mildly. Later in the week I was in the Falls Road to report on the main story I had been sent to cover - the replacement of British Army patrols by the RUC in the nationalist heartland, as part of the return to ‘normalisation’ in Northern Ireland. Needless to say, the ‘patrol’ consisted of the RUC’s armoured ◼ Northern Ireland during the ‘Troubles’ - British media were Land Rovers sitting glowering at the bottom of the Falls Road, often chased out of Loyalist areas, but given tours by the IRA of their engines revving. Then they screamed up the Falls Road at Nationalist areas around 60 mph, hatches firmly battened down, to be met by a hail of bricks, bottles and petrol-bombs, before disappearing in a cloud you entered their areas you were threatened and chased out - so of exhaust. you didn’t go there, and they lost the chance to put their case. It was not a patrol at all, but a propaganda exercise to help the The IRA by comparison were very PR savvy. When you entered politicians point to ‘progress’ in the Northern Ireland situation. As their areas, you were taken aside by a firm but very polite local a reporter, I was there to give a balanced view of the event. But IRA commander for a security check. And rather than just barking I’m only human - because of the RUC attitude towards the media, orders at you like the RUC, instead they explained why they were an attitude that was now reciprocal as far as we were concerned, I doing it, telling you how the British Army had sent spies into their was less inclined to defend them in my reports and made sure areas posing as journalists etc. Once your credentials were every humiliating fact about the incident was reported in detail. checked and they were happy you were a bona-fide journalist, it The British Army was a complete contrast to the RUC. They was open-house, with them obviously steering you to the ‘right’ understood the need for good PR, not only for their ‘hearts and people to interview so they got good copy. mind’ campaign with local people, but also because there was The main point is that engaging with the media and working with growing dismay that their sacrifices were slipping down the news them means you are more likely to get your viewpoint across in agenda, and the deaths of British soldiers hardly made a paragraph their reports. in the newspapers. Indeed, the government’s later policy of ‘not giving the terrorists The Army’s response was not to get surly with the media, but up the oxygen of publicity’ and generally obstructing the media their PR game. Rather than shoo us away, they greeted us media totally backfired. Trying to play down the IRA’s attacks and with open arms, giving us access to their actions and patrols and pretending Northern Ireland was ‘returning to normal’ only drove not hiding behind the ‘security’ argument, to stop us taking the IRA to ever greater ‘spectaculars’ that could not be pictures. ignored by the media, such as the one-ton bombs on London’s It was the same with the para-militaries. The Loyalist groups like financial sectors or the mortar attacks on No 10 Downing Street the UDA and UVF were aggressively hostile to the media, who in itself. Getting your communications strategy wrong sometimes their conspiratorial minds they saw as just another tranche of those doesn’t just mean getting a bad press - it can have deadly traitors who were trying to ‘sell them out’ to the Irish Republic. If consequences.

BOB WADE is a former lead on crisis closure of COI, he continued providing crisis communications at the Cabinet Office and the communications training and consultancy with Central Office of Information. In 2003, he initiated security sensitive organisations, and currently the Regional Media Emergency Forums in the works on the regular programme of crisis exercises English regions, providing an interface between for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. emergency responders and the media. With the

Resilience l 27 The Emergency Planning Society

The Hawkhills Easingwold York YO6 3EG

Email: [email protected]

Tel: 01347 821972

www.the-eps.org