Resilience PWG Formed

esilience Journal of the Emergency Planning Society Spring 2020

R At the ready INSIDE FLOODS: new PWG THE BIG launched by EPS ONE SOCIAL MEDIA: using it to build preparedness

TECHNOLOGY: new ways to gather intel

INVASION: a remarkable New Flood 1974 table-top exercise Resilience PWG formed

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

Events - Bernard Kershaw Dorset – Caroline Lindsay BOARD OF DIRECTORS [email protected] [email protected] Chair of the EPS: Jacqui Semple Wiltshire - Vanessa Middlemiss [email protected] NORTHERN [email protected] All officers can be contacted via: Gloucestershire - Ian Goodyear Branches Director: Andrew Brown [email protected] [email protected] Treasurer – Liz Redfern [email protected] Partnership & International Director – SOUTHERN Tracey Pitt Chair - Louise Cadle Vice Chair &Finance Director: [email protected] Martin Blackburn NORTHERN IRELAND Vice Chair - Louise Osborn [email protected] Secretary - Seth Speirs [email protected] [email protected] Treasurer - Joan McCaffrey WALES Professional Working Group [email protected] Chair – Roy Chape Director:Stephen Gallagher PR & Members - Dawn Bowers [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Deputy Chair - Steve Jones [email protected] REPUBLIC OF IRELAND Secretary - Russell Stafford-Tolley Governance: Stephen Arundell Branch Executive address: EPS (Republic of Ireland [email protected] [email protected] Branch) c/o The Mews 15 Adelaide Street, Dun Treasurer - Natalie Phillips Laoghaire, Co. Dublin. Telephone: +353 (1) 280 9410 [email protected] Director of Professional Standards & Email: [email protected] Training and Events Officer – Daniel Rixon Learning - Jeannie Barr Chair - Dennis Keeley [email protected] [email protected] +353868150210 Assist. Events/Training - Malcolm Dubber [email protected] Deputy Chair - Sean Ward [email protected] [email protected] Communications - Emma John Director for Events: Secretary - John Brophy [email protected] Sebastian Bassett-James [email protected] +353873291678 Practitioner Representatives - Sara Lane Events.director@the-eps-org Education - Caroline McMullan [email protected] [email protected] Practitioner Representatives – Ceri Jones Treasurer - Eileen Tully [email protected] Director for Projects: Kevin Pollock [email protected] Project.director@the-eps-org Student Liaison - Gavin Brown WEST MIDLANDS [email protected] Chair - William Read Membership - Michael Conway [email protected] BRANCHES [email protected] Vice Chair - Jawaid Akhtar [email protected] INTERNATIONAL SCOTLAND Secretary - Libby Tassell Contact EPS Head Office at: All officers can be contacted via the main [email protected] [email protected] address: Web - David Owen [email protected] [email protected] EAST MIDLANDS Chair - David Bright Members - Lianne Deathridge Chair - Andrew McCombe DipEP MEPS Vice-Chair - Ross Baird [email protected] [email protected] Secretary/Membership - Donald Park Members – Andrea Davies Secretary and Lincolnshire Representative - Graeme Executive Member - Mhairi McGowan [email protected] Hempsall Executive Member - Norbert Grant Members - Peter Streets [email protected] Executive Member - Colin McGowan [email protected] Treasurer - Martin Wilkinson Members - Steve Webb [email protected] SOUTH EASTERN [email protected] Employer Liaison and Industry - Eran Bauer Chair - Ian Taylor Members - Mike Enderby [email protected] [email protected] 07825 680369 [email protected] Nottinghamshire County Representative - Nigel Secretary - Tom Crellin Members - Claire Wise Humphreys [email protected] 07970 209344 [email protected] [email protected] Membership Secretary - Kevin Claxton [email protected] 07856 917007 YORKSHIRE & THE HUMBER EASTERN Events - Richard Highgate Chair – Katie Speed Chair - Andrew Morrison [email protected] 07920 780609 [email protected] [email protected] Executive Member - Steve Scully Deputy Chair – Paul Brown [email protected] 07740 185261 [email protected] LONDON Secretary - Darren Nugent All officers can be contacted via the main SOUTH WESTERN [email protected] address: Chair – Ian Cameron Treasurer – Richard Howes [email protected] [email protected] 07770 725321 Chair – Mark Chapple Deputy Chair - Vanessa Middlemiss Events – Wendy Muldoon Vice Chair – Adnan Ragab [email protected] [email protected] Treasurer – Paul Basson Secretary – Nicola Dawson External Relations – Peter Joyce [email protected] Membership - June Saunders Web & Comms – Phil West [email protected] NORTH WEST Membership Secretary - Paul Stephens Chair - Andrew Swapp [email protected] Emergency Planning Society [email protected] County Representatives Secretary/Treasurer - Jenny Jones The Hawkhills, Avon - Bill Crocker York YO61 3EG [email protected] [email protected] Vice Chair - Julie Ferguson Cornwall - Caroline Wildish Tel: 01347 821972 [email protected] [email protected] Communications - Rachel Hutchinson [email protected] Devon - Debbie Brooker-Evans Accounts: [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] CHAIR’S UPDATE

memo Jacqui Semple, Resilience EPS Chair Spring 2020 issue COVID-19 4 - 6: Spreading the THE COVID-19 outbreak is the greatest health challenge the world

word to the media has faced in a century – and our profession, and indeed many of our members, are in the eye of the storm in the battle against it. 7 - 8: Has South Korea ‘flattened the curve’? Understandably, much of this issue of Resilience includes material on COVID-19, and overleaf I report on the huge media interest in our profession, and how 9 - 10: On guard we have responded to it, ensuring the EPS is seen as the ‘go-to’ #VoiceOfResilience. against misinformation But I have also been heartened about how the EPS has found new ways to function, to not 11 - 12: The global only maintain our organisation but more importantly, making our professional contribution humanitarian response to the debates and narratives in this ever-changing crisis. It would have been very easy for all of us to be swamped by the ‘day job’, and for our EPS activities to be put on the back- Floods burner until better times. 13: New ‘Flood Resilience’ PWG Rather, we have looked at more agile ways of working, to ensure we continue the benefits launched the EPS brings to resilience professionals, of CPD, networking (virtually!) and sharing our knowledge and experiences. 14: Budget boost for flood defences I was particularly pleased with the response to our first ‘Resilience Chat’, held on 25 March, where we used the Zoom platform to discuss the current lockdown and the importance of 14 - 15: Toddbrook the resilience profession at this time. Reservoir - the Inquiry’s findings Around 65 members took part, in an important exchange of ideas and learning from the current COVID-19 crisis, all held under the Chatham House rule, which provided a Features 16 - 17: confidential and professional space, to discuss freely how the emergency is impacting across #30days30waysUK - the resilience profession, and our role and importance at this critical time. using social media for community This will be the first in a series of ‘Resilience Chats’ hosted by the EPS for our members, as preparedness the COVID-19 crisis winds on.

18 - 19: Technology - While COVID-19 dominates our every waking hour at the moment, we should not forget our using social media for other areas of work. It seems like an age away now, but only several weeks ago our early warning members were once again at the forefront of resilience, battling the massive floods that swept large parts of the country. 20 - 23: Invasion! Table-top re-enacts 1940 Even in the epicentre of this other crisis, I’m pleased to report that Phil Emonson and his team managed to go ahead with forming the Flood Resilience Professional Working Group, SUMMER ISSUE: at its launch meeting in Telford in February. They were right to opt to carry on with the Copy deadline for articles launch event, because, as Phil reports inside this issue, quite simply had they postponed it for the next issue will be there now might well have not been another good chance to get people together, given the MONDAY 1 JUNE 2020 Send to Bob Wade on: onset of COVID-19! [email protected] 07950 155008 Finally, we thought it important to get this issue of Resilience out there, putting it on-line, rather than postpone it – there was not only the issue of whether printing and distributing a physical copy was the right thing to do during a national lock down, but the simple fact that Resilience is produced by: Bob Wade Media Ltd, Sutton Coldfield B73 5SS many copies are emailed to members’ workplace, when they are probably either working Co. Reg. 07469245 from – or self-isolating at – home. Tel: 0121 354 8223 I 07950 155008 [email protected]

Printed by: Exactis Interactive Print . Lets keep these new ways of keeping in touch active for the foreseeable future – most of all, North Yorkshire, YO26 6GA. let’s all stay safe. Tel: 01904 790044 Www.exactis.co.uk

Resilience l 3 COVID-19

The professional challenge of a lifetime

WHEN news of COVID-19 emerged with the first case reported in China’s Wuhan province at the end of December 2019, few could have predicted the impact the virus would have on every person in the world’s lives. The resilience sector and the professionals working within it are at the very centre of the biggest health crisis of its kind to hit mankind in a century. Over the next few pages, we look at how EPS members have been coping, and lessons from different parts of the world

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EPS - voice of the Resilience profession

OVER THE past month there have The EPS Chair been numerous JACQUI SEMPLE requests for interviews from talks about the im- Journalists and portant role that the Broadcasters across all forms EPS plays at times of of media. crisis, as we see in It was clearly apparent how today’s pandemic important we are, as individuals working in the emergency and crisis management profession, and how despite the the EPS is the central voice of resilience, a stringent trusted source, if you will. measures ◼ ABOVE: Jacqui appearing on Sky News The resilience sector and the professionals and travel working within it are at the very centre of the restrictions and cases began to be reported in of how many people will ultimately be biggest health crisis of its kind to hit South Korea and then, in increasing affected. mankind in a century. numbers, Europe, including the UK with We were being asked many questions about Here in the UK, we watched as more and numbers of reported cases and fatalities what the resilience professional does in a more cases were reported in Wuhan and then around the world growing all the time. situation like this - an active, fast-moving more widely in China. And as resilience On 11 March 2020, the World Health crisis where people’s lives are at stake. professionals, we watched how the Chinese Organisation announced that the outbreak My aim, as Chair of the EPS was to say that government and their emergency services should be considered a pandemic. yes, every crisis differs greatly - as responded. It’s a term which has no universally agreed resilience professionals we see flooding, fire, Firstly Wuhan was quarantined in what has definition, but means that multiple countries human violence, natural disasters and, of been described as “the largest quarantine in are seeing sustained transmission between course, health-related matters all throughout human history”, quickly followed by the people of an outbreak causing disease or our careers, and each has their own footprint quarantine of 15 cities in the province. death. It’s been on every resilience profes- and their own set of particular circumstances Private transportation was banned. Chinese sional’s risk register for a long time. which will impact on how it is dealt with and New Year celebrations were cancelled. ultimately, the outcome. But it was important Fourteen temporary hospitals were INCREASINGLY, the work of for the public to know, and for us to constructed in record time and universities the resilience professional and remember is that as resilience professionals, and schools were closed. emergency planning was a hot we’re always preparing, co-ordinating and co Remote working measures were instituted topic, and I was inundated -operating. in several Chinese regions and travel with requests to speak on the We don’t wait for the crisis or disaster to hit restrictions were enacted. Other provinces topic on every major news and take action, we’re always there, in the and cities outside Hubei soon imposed travel outlet, including a variety of local and background, planning, refining and prac- restrictions. national BBC radio stations, BBC Radio Five tising so we can swing into action  Public transport was modified, and Live, Sky News (live), Sky News Daily museums throughout China were temporarily Podcast with Dermot Murnaghan, The closed. Control of movement of people was Guardian, The Daily Express, Local applied in many cities, and it has been esti- Government Chronicle and many more. mated that over half of China's population, The early interviews led with questions around 760 million people, faced some forms about preparation, such as, “Are we ready, of outdoor restriction. are we prepared?” A later WHO report described China's re- My response was emphatic – “Yes we as sponse as "perhaps the most ambitious, agile resilience professionals are. We have plans in and aggressive disease containment effort in place and we are ready to execute them” history". We were being increasingly asked to be the However, as we know, the virus spread voice of resilience. The media first of all wanted to know ‘are we prepared’ and I We were being asked many questions was able to say we were. about what the resilience professional Every day there was a new headline about does in a situation like this - an active, coronavirus, how fast-moving crisis where people’s many people have contracted it, where lives are at stake people have been tested and predictions

Resilience l 5 COVID-19 NEWS UPDATE

when needed. My aim in every interview was to provide a pragmatic and informed overview to try and reassure the public that this was something we do every day, we are planning for and acting in the face of crisis - each one is just a different subject.

AS WE now know, on 16 March, Prime Minister Boris Johnson made an announce- ment advising against all non- essential travel and social contact, to include working from home where possible and avoiding venues such as pubs, restaurants and theatres. The government imposed further restrictions on 18 March, limiting school attendance to children of workers in selected professions only, namely NHS employees, police and those vital to food supply As the virus, and the Government’s tactics moved from the ‘contain to delay’ phases, the EPS was again asked questions from a resilience professional’s point of view and they all took mostly the same form; “what ◼ The crisis has impacts beyond just health issues happens next?” Again I took every opportunity to provide a jerk” or throw the baby pragmatic, responsible response. out with the bathwater. We have ensured that the EPS website Journalists, and the public, wanted to know True resilience and whether we would move to an Italy-style preparedness requires a has been updated with as much lockdown, particularly in London, to try to multi-agency and part- halt the spread. They wanted to know if the nership approach – in information as possible and we will Government was doing enough, quickly this case across many continue to do so throughout this crisis enough. sectors. Predominantly At times like this, it’s important that we as led by our health col- using the hashtag #VoiceOfResilience the EPS representing professionals right leagues, naturally, but across the frontline of dealing with this crisis, encompassing are communicating with Government, health everything from transport and logistics to and other bodies to ensure people are as safe emergency services, local authorities and COVID-19 is our biggest challenge in a as possible and that we’re all acting in tan- more. century, and, at the time of writing this dem, across all four nations. Everyone is working together to help mini- article, the number of deaths in the UK is in To that end, we have ensured that the EPS mise risk and impact to our communities – creasing daily and the government is website has been updated with as much infor- often when concerned about the impact this introducing more measures to try and halt the mation as possible and we will continue to do crisis is having on their own families. spread as best as possible. so throughout this crisis, using the hashtag Obviously, we can predict and plan, but all The fact that, during this crisis on an almost #VoiceOfResilience crises evolve as they move on and therefore daily basis, I have been asked to appear in From a resilience professional point of our plans must be flexible according to how the press and media is a reflection of the view, this is undoubtedly one of the biggest, the crisis unfolds – we can guess or make recognition of the EPS as the true Voice of if not the biggest, challenges we have face in assumptions, but incidents sometimes unfold the Resilience Community and I am rightly our career, and also in our personal lifetimes. differently than expected. proud, as Chair of the Society, of the incredi- In a way, it’s the crisis that we have all been ble work that all our Members, along with fellow resilience professionals planning for, all of our careers and so we ◼ We have planned and exercised for such events should remember this – even when things are undertaking ◼ move quickly or unexpectedly - we are al- readyHas prepared EPS, we have got planned your for this. right address? WeDO have, WE over have months your upand to years, date got contact todetails? gether across our organisations and sectors. We’ veIf youplanned change for the email ‘what addresses-ifs’. We’ve (usually through a change in employment), learnedhome from address, previous or events. contact We telephone’ve tested number, please inform us to update out ourtheories membership and run exercises records. to make sure our plans work. Testing If you our haven plans ’allowst received agencies any to emails prepare from the EPS for a long time, or if you in aare learning wondering environment, why you allowing haven for’t a received your copy of Resilience magazine kind(in of which muscle case memory you for probably when incidents won’t beor reading this!) then it may be that crisesyour like details this happen need and updating that makes with our us. response considerably more effective. We need To to haveupdate faith your in our contact ability todetails succeed, simply email Sue at EPS head office at: no matter the challenge. We need to remember this, now that the real thinginfo@the has hit – we-eps.org need to remember what we’ve learned and not be tempted to “knee- 6 l Resilience COVID-19

Has South Korea managed to ‘flatten the curve’? They were not the sole culprits however. How the ‘cluster infections’ ‘Cluster infections’ began to appear at other spread from China churches, a call-centre, while just one Zumba class resulted in 118 cases. The THE FIRST case of COVID- South Koreans have found that 80 per cent 19 in South Korea was report- of positive cases result from cluster infec- ed on 20 January, in what was tions. to become the epicentre of the There has been problems with ‘fake news’ outbreak in the city of Daegu. too. At a church in the capital Seoul, the In the south east of church leaders believed the myth that drink- the peninsular. ing salt water would stave off the virus. The finger was pointed at a Christian sect, They sprayed salt water into the mouths of the Shincheonji. Members of the group had the congregation before the service – visited a ‘house church’ in Wuhan, scene of unfortunately the nozzle was infected with the December outbreaks in China, before COVID-19, resulting in 46 parishioners returning to Daegu for mass congregational catching the virus. gatherings. At its peak, the country had 7,700 cases, In the initial outbreak, 63 per cent of those the largest number at the time outside of testing positive were from the Shincheonji China. church.

WhatI South Korea did - lock-downs, but rather a rigorous regime of ◼ The South Koreans found that 80 per – testing and subsequent quarantine. cent of cases were from ‘cluster infections’ test, test, test Of course, a major IN MARCH, the World Health advantage for the South Organisation congratulated Korean authorities is its South Korea for keeping down people – they are used to At its peak, South Korea had 7,700 the mortality rate caused by national emergencies, COVID-19. given its troublesome cases, the largest number at the time While in other countries af- neighbour. fected by the virus the death rate has been As the Guardian outside of China. running at 3-4 percent, in South Korea, with commented: “South its population of 51 million, it has been kept Koreans are famously down – so far – to 0.7 per cent, with, as of 11 nonchalant about North Korean nuclear purely by coincidence, the Korea Centre for March, 51 deaths. weapons. Bewilderingly to the rest of us, Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) Interestingly, it has not resorted to travel they ‘keep calm and carry on’ whenever held a national table-top exercise involving bans and national Pyongyang threatens to turn Seoul into a ‘sea these units on the threat of a new pandemic of fire’ “ (Guardian, 20 March). in December 2019: “As a result, officials ◼ One of the ‘drive-through’ testing stations There was early intervention. were fully prepared when the novel The infrastructure to coronavirus hit the nation the following co-ordinate the fight month” (Asia Times, 11 March). against the virus was Equally - precisely because of the ever in place. With the present threat of conflict with the North - experience of the there is a strong health service with universal SARS outbreak in health cover. South Korea has twice as many 2003, hospital beds as most OECD countries, and specialist units in the three times as many as the UK. Ministry of Health, Testing has been the key however, accord- Ministry of Welfare, ing to the WHO. Ministry of Foreign The hero of the hour has been Chun Jong- Affairs, the Presi- Yoon, the founder of the Seegene biotech dent’s Office and the company. On 16 January, four days before Regional Municipali- the outbreak in South Korea, he ordered his ties, had been labs to develop detection kits, which they did In a piece of good fortune, purely by retained, and proved within several days. vital in co-ordinating These are now in high demand and are coincidence the Korea Centre for resources and re- being exported to governments around the Disease Control and Prevention held a sponse to the virus. world. South Korea also With this kit, the government opened free national table-top exercise on the had an enormous drive through testing centres for the asymp- piece of luck, one tomatic, where a swab is taken and results threat of a new pandemic in which emergency are available within a few hours. Already December 2019 planners around the over 200,000 have been tested. Since 16 world will appreciate March, there has also been screening  Resilience l 7 COVID-19

for all passengers at arriving at airports. Another important aid was the launch of a new app, called ‘Corona 110M’: this informs the user of known cases of COVID-19 within 100 metres of where they are. In terms of freedom of movement – with the exception of the historic market district of Daegu which has been in total shutdown – the authorities have been issuing ‘advisories’ rather than direct orders. They have obviously been strongly advising against people meeting in groups and are halting public events, but retail and food outlets can remain open. However, they must follow stringent rules – in the province of Gyeonggi for example, the Governor has ordered strict disinfecting regimes for all internet cafes, karaoke bars etc, as well as the area’s 140 churches. Given the role of religious groups in the initial outbreak, there is now more co- operation with the government by religious orders. All 230,000 members of the Shin- cheonji group have been tracked down and tested. Meanwhile, both the largest Buddhist order and the United Christian Churches of Korea - which includes the Presbyterians, the largest Christian order in the country – have agreed to postpone forthcoming important religious events, namely Buddha’s birthday and the preceding Lotus Lantern Festival, and Easter. There has been government financial help too, for those laid off or can’t work because of the closure of schools, those in self- isolation, and for struggling businesses.

But its not over yet - South Korea prepares for second wave

WHILE SOUTH Korea is In addition, South Korea has several hun- hoping it has passed the peak, dred thousand citizens working or studying it is not being complacent. It abroad who may have to return from COVID fully understands that a second -19 infected areas as they go into lockdown. wave could return if it drops The government has already put plans in its guard. The South Korean place that any South Korean citizen returning Health Minister, Park Neunghoo, said: “This home will face stringent testing as they step (virus) is very contagious – and once it starts, off the aircraft, even before they go through it spreads very quickly and in very wide Immigration. areas” (Forbes, 11 March). However, that aside, testing appears to have There are two main concerns. Firstly, there been key in containing the virus, and coun- has been the worrying death of a 17 year old tries such as Germany are following the boy in Daegu on 18 March. He had previous- South Korean model. ly tested infection-free. As the Health Minister Park Neunghoo However, a subsequent test proved positive, commented: “Raising the testing capability is but was discovered too late. The boy had no very important because that way, you can underlying medical conditions. Post mortems detect someone who’s carrying the virus, are still being carried out, but if it is con- then you can contain the virus” (Forbes, 11 firmed then he will be the first teenager March) ◼ killed by the virus, which would be a very worrying trend. ◼ The Korean An important aid was a new app, called authorities are now preparing for ‘Corona 110M’: this informs the user of several hundred thousand Koreans known cases of COVID-19 within 100 to return from all metres of where they are. over the world

8 l Resilience COVID-19

DAVID STEWART is MD of On the guard against Taynuilt Associates Ltd, and also a retired Chief Superintendent misinformation from Police Scotland. ◼ Bad actors are attempting to exploit the crisis via social media By David Stewart IN NORMAL times technology is seen as being our friend. Businesses rely upon it for information gathering and dissemination, and it is hard to remember times before the internet, email and social media. However, at times of crisis, while technology can be a positive force in enhancing our ability to manage the situation, it can also present some significant challenges. The current Coronavirus/Covid-19 situation is a case in point.

Misinformation IN recent years, the term ‘fake news’ has unregulated and this allows misinformation These efforts included trying to have vari- become associated with President Trump and to be spread with ease. ous websites and social media feeds his ongoing spat with the ‘fake news media’. There are numerous examples of this in the ‘verified’ so that social media users could be This growing distrust of mainstream media Coronavirus context; reassured that the sources of information has seen many people turn to social media were actually official, as opposed to for their sources of information. • On my own Facebook feed, one of my ‘clickbait’. Unfortunately, social media is generally friends (not from the resilience profession) shared a post giving advice about Crime how to prevent getting infected by gar- AND it’s not only fake news challenges that THE website factcheck.org has made a gling saltwater which would kill the technology brings. When people start to number of recommendations to help coronavirus germs in the throat. The post panic, it is an ideal time for unscrupulous and indiscriminate criminal organisations to people double check sources of contained a link to follow for more information. However, that link led to an try and take advantage of their vulnerability. information, outlined below; online auction site selling face masks. The UK police National Fraud Intelligence Bureau recently reported that, since February CONSIDER THE SOURCE • In India, the Prime Minister was forced they had identified 21 reports of fraud where Click away from the story to investigate to publish an appeal to citizens asking Coronavirus was mentioned, with victim the site, its mission and its contact info them not to spread rumours about the losses totalling over £800,000. illness. However, even this didn’t stop Of the 21 reports, ten were made by victims messages on WhatsApp going viral in that attempted to purchase protective face READ BEYOND masks from fraudulent sellers. One victim Headlines can be outrageous in an India saying things such as, ‘there is no cure once you are infected’ and that reported losing over £15,000 when they eﬀort to get clicks. What’s the whole keeping your throat moist was a known purchased face masks that were never deliv- story? and proven method of prevention from ered. infection. On 16 February, the World Health Organi- CHECK THE AUTHOR sation (WHO) warned of fraudulent emails It’s a sign of modern times that our own sent by criminals posing as the WHO. Do a quick search on the author. Are This followed a warning from the US Fed- they credible? Are they real? NHS, which should be focussed totally on fighting the illness, has had to dedicate re- eral Trade Commission about scammers

sources to counter fake news. spreading phishing 'clickbait' via email and SUPPORTING SOURCES? On 10 March, NHS England announced social media, as well as creating  Click on those links. Determine if the that it had, “unveiled a info given actually supports the story package of measures in the battle against The UK police National Fraud CHECK THE DATE coronavirus fake news Intelligence Bureau recently reported Reposting old news stories doesn't – working with Google, Twitter, Insta- that, since February, they had identified mean they’re relevant to current gram and Facebook – events to help the public get 21 reports of fraud where Coronavirus easy access to accu- IS IT A JOKE? rate NHS information was mentioned, with victim losses If it is too outlandish, it might be satire. and avoid myths and totalling over £800k Research the site and author to be sure misinformation”.

Resilience l 9 COVID-19

The deadly effects of fake news NCSC tips on AUTHORITIES across the world have been a hospital in Andover, Hampshire, which monitoring fake news, which can have was saying it had COVID-19 patients. spotting phishing deadly aﬀects during a pandemic. The news verification service, NewsGuard In the most serious case so far, 44 people reported that in one week in mid-march, THE NATIONAL Cyber Security Centre in Iran died after drinking a bootleg alcohol Facebook and Twitter users in the UK had provides the following advice in brand that social media claimed would ward posted more than 470,000 links from WND, relation to suspicious emails: oﬀ the virus. a US website hosting misinformation about

In the UK, Twitter was forced to close the virus (Sunday Times, 15 March). down one account that claimed to be from • Many phishing emails have poor grammar, punctuation and spelling.

fraudulent websites to sell fake antivi- ticularly susceptible to shipping disruptions • Is the design and overall quality ral equipment. including manufacturing, industrial, finance, what you'd expect from the Cyber criminals have also impersonated transportation, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic the US Center for Disease Control (CDC), companies. organisation the email is supposed creating domain names similar to the CDC’s While this specific Coronavirus-themed to come from? web address to request passwords and even email campaign is narrow in its focus, it bitcoin donations to fund a fake vaccine. features malicious Microsoft Word • Is it addressed to you by name, or documents, exploits a two-and-a-half-year- In early February, attackers exploit- does it refer to 'valued customer', ed Coronavirus fears by sending malicious old vulnerability, and installs information health information emails aimed at Japanese stealing malware. or 'friend', or 'colleague'? This can -language speakers. The malware actors doing this clearly un- be a sign that the sender does not Researchers from Proofpoint.com then derstand the economic concerns surrounding actually know you, and that it is uncovered new Coronavirus-themed email the Coronavirus. part of a phishing scam. attacks that focussed on concerns around All emails with Coronavirus-themes and disruptions to global shipping. attachments should be treated with caution, In that instance, attackers were almost even if they don’t appear to be directly • Does the email contain a veiled exclusively targeting industries that are par- health related ◼ threat that asks you to act urgently? Be suspicious of words like 'send ◼ Always double check a source of ‘news’ these details within 24 hours' or 'you have been a victim of crime, click here immediately'.

• Look at the sender's name. Does it sound legitimate, or is it trying to mimic someone you know?

• If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. It's most unlikely that someone will want to give you money, or give you access to a secret part of the Internet.

• Your bank, or any other official source, should never ask you to supply personal information from an email.

• Try to check any claims made in the email through some other channel. For example, by calling your bank to see if they actually sent you an email or doing a quick Google search on some of the wording used in the email.

More comprehensive advice relating to malware can be found on the NCSC website https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/ guidance/mitigating-malware-and- ransomware-attacks

10 l Resilience COVID-19

Global Humanitarian Response to COVID-19: A perspective from a faith-based INGO

ANDREW BROWN is a former Commander and Chief Inspector, and is an internationally renowned negotiator, with specialist knowledge and experience in dealing with kidnap for ransom, hostage and crisis incidents, particularly in maritime environments. He designs conflict de-escalation skills for military operations, and acts as an expert witness to judicial inquiries into the response to hostage taking. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Management and Security Insti- ACROSS THE developed tutes, and has developed world the response to COVID By Andrew Brown advanced negotiation and crisis -19 has been swift, with some leadership skills for major corpo- governments quickly moving Establishing a Cross-Functional COVID- rations, public policy and world to enforced lockdown of the 19 Response Team across the organisation populous to slow down the has allowed us to be assured that across our class sports coaches. transmission of the virus. regions, we have responded appropriately to His doctoral studies and Unfortunately, not all governments are the protect staff, moving quickly to remote/ experience in Afghan and African same with some countries in denial, which home working, while many of our educa- in today’s connected world, causes the tional activities have been suspended or kidnappings has led him to population to read wider, distrust their own stopped through in-country government research, critique and advise government and fuels panic within commu- directive. International Non-Governmental nities. In countries that are in denial we have Organisations on how to pre- Working as the Chief Security Officer for utilised the World Health Organisation web- a faith-based INGO operating at the fore- site as a go to resource for staff to ensure pare, prevent and respond to front of the global refugee crisis across 56 that they get accurate information, as they the threat of kidnap. countries has its challenges from responding raise awareness and implement preventative He continues to teach advanced to kidnap, crime, terrorism, civil disorder, measures across our missions. natural disasters and even the response to Consistency and frequency in our commu- negotiation tactics to many law the outbreak of Ebola in Democratic Repub- nications is key to ensure staff are given the enforcement agencies, including lic of the Congo in how to keep staff safe. right message, and that we reassure donors the NYPD, US Marshals Service Naturally, there are significant challenges that support our activities that we are re- and the FBI. in persuading senior leaders within a faith- sponding appropriately and looking at short, based organisation that crisis leadership and medium- and long-term challenges, as we A Fulbright Alumnus, he is an management should be part of their suite of move through this pandemic. advisor to the Crisis Response skills, to respond effectively to a variety of Staff not only feel the discomfort of lock- Journal, and was recently ap- crises that impact on our mission. down or self-isolation, but also feel cut off The skills I’ve learned as a negotiator from from refugees and migrants - that we pointed to the Board of the world of hostage/crisis negotiation have support usually face to face - as detention Directors for the EPS. served me well in persuading the organisa- and reception centres are closed to outside tion to move their focus to one much more visitors, where activities are reduced to life of resilience. saving ones only. 

Resilience l 11 COVID-19

 Frustrating as it is, it opens opportunities to be innovative in how we support remote- Our COVID-19 strategy - ly, with staff establishing talk groups on WhatsApp to continue to support those who need us the most. react, educate, engage, Recognising the challenges that we face, many donors and foundations have come forward to offer financial support as many , government grant processes are slowed, as co-ordinate, navigate the focus shifts to COVID-19 response. . In an organisation adverse to the term of AS AN international organisation we have experience of operating in an Ebola ‘crisis management’, using a cross- setting, and our strategy to COVID-19 has been to: functional COVID-19 response team re- ceives more acceptance and allows us to React quickly; discuss some of the greater challenges we • face. • Go after the virus through educational awareness and prevention to stop the As yet unknown is the impact on refugee chains of transmission; and internally displaced people (IDP) populations as the virus continues to gather • Engage deeply with the communities that we serve - we know that community momentum across the globe in its contagion. acceptance of how we react is hugely important; Basic preventative measures of handwash- Be co-ordinated and coherent in our actions and communication; ing and social distancing in refugee and IDP • settings are almost impossible to implement. • Consider other sectoral impacts as we navigate this pandemic. So, what is the next best thing we can do to support staff in the field? With a global I have steered our cross-functional COVID-19 response team to the wise and experienced shortage of hand sanitiser and protective words of Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director of the World Health Organisation: equipment, we now see commercial enterprise, even gin distilleries switching to “Be fast, have no regrets, always be the first mover and need to be prepared. If you need to the production of hand sanitiser. be right before you move, you will never win. Perfection is the enemy of the good when it In this short window, we have the comes to emergency management. Speed trumps perfection. opportunity to prepare and focus our efforts “The problem in society is everyone is afraid of making a mistake, afraid of the on supporting staff in the field, in order that consequence of error. The greatest error is not to move. The greatest error is to be paralysed they continue to deliver to our service of by the fear of failure…” serving, accompanying and advocating for those most in need in our global human No doubt this is going to be tough, but our resilience, professionalism and faith will help us community ◼ navigate the bumpy road ahead.

◼ How do you introduce basic preventative measures in refugee camps?

12 l Resilience FLOODS

Flood Resilience PWG launched

By Phil Emonson Chair, Flood Resilience PWG

T WAS not without irony that on the day I we chose for the launch of the Flood Resilience EPS Professional Working Group, large parts of the country were struggling to keep the flood waters at bay. Indeed, the venue for the 27 February meeting, at the University of Wolverhampton Telford Campus, had major issues, Telford being the home of the historic Ironbridge Gorge. Plans to set up this group have been in development for over 18 months and its inception has come at a really important time. There has been nowhere in the industry to explore and discuss the resilience, recovery and humanitarian aspects of flooding. In the end after much discussion, we opted to carry on with the launch event, quite simply because had we postponed it there might well have not been another good chance to get people together. No crystal ball of course, but, given the onset of COVID-19, we’re very thankful that we made that decision! Numbers were of course slightly impacted by the flooding, as some who’d confirmed attendance sadly couldn’t join us due to their incident management role. Nevertheless, we had 12 professionals attend in person, with another six remotely. In addition, another 13 have expressed their interest in being part of the group. We had an interesting presentation from Dr. Paul O’Hare of Manchester Metropolitan University, on ‘The Flooding Challenge’ which looked at how we can consider ‘living better with water’. I also gave a summary of why the group has been established, with a group discussion on what we want to achieve. A Board was duly elected, comprising: • Chair – Phil Emonson • Vice Chair – Lisa Davies • Secretary – Shelley Evans

We do plan a number of events through 2020 – COVID-19 permitting of course – and one of the first things we can and will be ◼ Ironbridge in doing is liaising with and learning from the Telford, faces We do plan a number of events debriefs being undertaken from those regular flooding January and February floods. through 2020 – COVID-19 permitting – and one of the first things we will be doing is liaising with and learning from the debriefs being undertaken from those January and February floods

Resilience l 13 FLOODS

Budget doubles money for flood defences FOLLOWING the budget announcements on 11 March, funding for flood defences in the UK is set to double to £5.2 billion. The new Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the investment would help to build 2,000 new flood and coastal defence schemes and would be used to better protect 336,000 properties in England over the next six years. The funding, which is expected to be targeted in every region and will be available from next April, doubles the current £2.6 billion 2015- 2021 flood defence programme. However, some concerns have been raised that the extra £2.6bn will be for capital projects only, with no extra funds for maintenance. National Infrastructure Commission (NIC) chair Sir John Armitt said: “We welcome the additional funding for boosting flood protection, though we have repeatedly argued for this to be comple- Toddbrook Reservoir mented by the introduction of a national flood resilience standard” (New Civil Engineer, 12 March 2020). inquiry calls for tightening A £200 million fund was also announced for a “plant-based resilience programme”, which will go to 25 local authorities to of legislation “build flood resistance”. Local authorities in northern England, the HE independent review of the supported by Dr Peter Mason, an All Midlands and southern regions will T Toddbrook Reservoir disaster ordered by Reservoirs Panel Engineer, and Dr Paul reportedly benefit from the fund after a the Government, published its findings on Tedd, a specialist in earth embankment selection process based on a range of 10 February. dams. criteria, including the frequency of flood The overall finding of the inquiry was that: The UK has a good reservoir safety record. damage. Since the Reservoirs (Safety Provisions) Act The Environment Agency estimates the “The cause of failure at Toddbrook of 1930, there have been no deaths caused funding increase will reduce national flood Reservoir on the 1 August 2019 was the by the failure of a reservoir. Thus the events risk by up to 11 per cent by 2027. Annual poor design of the spillway, exacerbated by at Toddbrook merited an inquiry. As the flood damage costs are currently estimated Secretary of State commented: to be £1.1bn. intermittent maintenance over the years which would have caused the spillway to “Incidents like Toddbrook are very rare, but deteriorate. it is important that lessons are learned and “It has not been possible to say whether it shared widely to help the dedicated profes- was the poor design or the intermittent sionals who manage and maintain our res- maintenance that was the primary cause of ervoirs in securing the ongoing safety of failure on the day. With consistent good these structures. Toddbrook reservoir was quality maintenance over the years leading compliant with existing legislation - none- up to the event the spillway may not have theless, it suﬀered unforeseen and poten- failed. However, it would have been unlikely tially critical damage” (Toddbrook Reservoir to survive the probable maximum flood IRR, p. 1-4) which is many times greater than the flood in which it failed” (Toddbrook Reservoir Under the Reservoirs Act 1975, Toddbrook IRR, p. 47-51). reservoir is designated “high risk” because of the impact a potential breach might have The review was called for by George on the communities downstream, and is Eustice, Secretary of State for therefore subject to regular inspections as set Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The out in the Act. Panel was led by Professor David The incident began to unfold in summer Balmforth, a past President of the Institu- last year. Following heavy rain that fell tion of Civil Engineers, and he was between the 27 July - 1 August 2019,  14 l Resilience FLOODS

not had to issue any enforcement notices. ◼ The However, both CRT and the EA have stated lessons of the that compliance is not the same as safety. Toddbrook Reservoir This can mean that a reservoir and its collapse were Owner can be compliant with the legislation a major part without the reservoir necessarily being of the safe” (Toddbrook Reservoir IRR, p.47-51). discussion at the EPS The report lists 22 recommendations, including: National

Study Day Recommendation 1: “The EA commissions held in September new guidance on the failure mechanisms of last year spillways and how to undertake spillway inspections. This should include guidance on spillway design based on international good practice and lessons learned from incidents the spillway at Toddbrook Reservoir during the actual event, and there is video failed. The rain that led to the failure was in the UK” (, Toddbrook Reservoir IRR, p. 47 and photographic evidence to support this” -51). well forecast and fell in two separate events, (Toddbrook Reservoir IRR, p. 1-4). the first occurring over the 27 - 29 July, closely followed by a more severe event The Report believes the event happened Recommendation 5: “Requirements for from the 30 July - 1 August 2019. because of a process known as ‘crack Measures in the Interests of Safety (MIOS) The Report notes that these were rare injection’. It states: should be worded so that they unequivocal- events, the second of which had an estimated ly convey the seriousness of the risk and the annual probability of about 1 per cent. “…Crack injection can occur when high urgency of implementation” (Toddbrook The resulting flood, however, was very velocity flow impacts against a solid object Reservoir IRR, p. 47-51). much smaller than the probable maximum flood which the spillway should have been in its path such that the kinetic energy in the able to accommodate. It had dealt with flow is converted into pressure. Quite small Recommendation 11: “There is a system- significant floods in the past without obstructions in the flow, such as the edge of atic review of how the current Reservoirs apparent damage. a joint or crack, can cause this eﬀect. Act, and the associated Regulations and On 1 August 2019, a single slab of the “The pressure then forces water through Guidance, are implemented. This should spillway chute collapsed into a large void the crack or joint and into the material be- consider the roles and responsibilities of that had formed underneath, and a brown qualified engineers, whether compliance slurry could be seen discharging from under neath. The phenomenon appears not to be slabs, which had also failed and lifted, particularly well known in the UK, but has with the Act is sufficient to ensure safety, further down the spillway chute. been extensively researched in the USA and and how safety is formally During the day the void enlarged, and more attributed to a number of spillway failures assured” (Toddbrook Reservoir IRR, slabs collapsed, risking the integrity of the similar to that at Toddbrook. Large volumes p. 47-51). dam. A full scale emergency was declared, of water can be injected into the foundation and, as a precaution, 1,500 people were The last three of the 22 recommendations of a spillway over a period of evacuated from the town of Whaley Bridge by Professor Balmforth, were for immediate immediately downstream. hours” (Toddbrook Reservoir IRR, p. 1-4). action for both the Environment Agency In identifying what caused the collapse, the (EA) and dam owners. They were: The media have been quick to blame the Report states: • The EA should urgently seek to identify owners of the dam, the Canal & River Trust (CRT) for a lack of urgency in implementing any reservoirs with potentially similar “Any erosion caused by seepage flows the maintenance that was needed, in the run spillway characteristics to those at could have led to some settlement and up to the event. Toddbrook. cracking of the spillway slabs. Satellite data, However, Professor Balmforth made it • Where these are identified, Owners received towards the end of the Review, clear there was a problem with current legis- urgently arrange for detailed inspections lation. The report points out: suggests that settlement of the slabs in the to be undertaken, with any necessary area of the initial failure may have accelerat- precautionary measures put in place to ed in the months leading up to the failure. “It has not been possible to say whether it ensure they remain safe whilst any However, there is no evidence to suggest was the poor design or the intermittent remedial work is undertaken maintenance that was the primary cause of that this process could account for the large The EA urgently produces a technical failure on the day. With consistent good • void that was observed to have formed note on the Toddbrook Reservoir beneath the chute slabs, and into which quality maintenance over the years leading incident to inform all reservoir engineers failed slabs subsequently collapsed. Some up to the event, the spillway might not have and owners of the lessons learnt from 800 tonnes (400 m3) of material is failed during this event. However, it would the incident ◼(Recommendations estimated to have been eroded from the have been unlikely to survive the probable 20,21,22, Toddbrook Reservoir IRR, p. embankment. maximum flood which is many times greater 47-51).

“This would have required large volumes than the flood in which it failed… “…CRT have remained compliant with the The full report can be found at: of water with high energy to convey that www.gov.uk/government/publications/ volume of material oﬀ-site and into the river legislation for the entire time they have had toddbrook-reservoir-incident-2019- downstream. That could only have occurred responsibility for the reservoir. The EA have independent-review

Resilience l 15 COMMUNITY RESILIENCE

How the initiative began in the US

THIS initiative - to use interactive gaming to promote individual preparedness - developed in the US in 2010, which saw the very first interactive emergency #30days30waysUK preparedness games, created by the Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency in Washington Empowering action towards state. Initially it ran over email, joining personal and community Twitter in 2011 as @30days30ways to promote its blog-based method. The idea was simple: to create preparedness via social media engagement via an interactive By Monika Al-Mufti game in the form of a daily fun and professionals took part. empowering challenge towards Sadly, we don’t know better personal preparedness, for 0days30waysUK.org.uk is a the ‘September is Preparedness 3 professional volunteer network con- Month’. sisting of practitioners, academics, The first preparedness games emergency responders and agencies, voluntary sector and some started with just 86 subscribers, government agencies. just how many people were reached. who earnt points for completing We're not a registered charity, precisely However, we have been able to show that daily tasks towards a chance to win so that the approach is freely transferable since then, the campaign has consistently crowdsourced prizes. to other regions worldwide, with minimal realized a staggering uptake growth, from It quickly gained popularity and hurdles or monetary investment. Since 127% to 482%) so that the fifth this has been repeated with even joining GNDR - the largest Global anniversary edition in 2019 realized partic- greater success in the UK: uptake Network of Civil Society Organisations for ipation by 655 local and national partners Disaster Risk Reduction - and attending the including the Met Office, the Environment growth 2015 – 2017 was 450 per UN Global Platform in 2019, national and Agency, the British Red Cross, voluntary cent, and a staggering 1028 per international interest, reach and uptake is organisations such as ‘4x4 Support’ and cent in 2018. growing. many others (see the @30days30waysUK #30days30waysUK first appeared The #30days30waysUK story begins more twitter lists). in 2015 when Joanne Maddams, than half a decade ago. In 2015, Joanne Most encouragingly, the campaign Northamptonshire Emergency Maddams, the Northamptonshire reached an estimated 12.5 million twitter Planning Officer, ran the Emergency Planning Officer, brought the users. ‘30days30ways’ concept to the UK. Statistics such as these are published preparedness games via the She adapted it to local purposes with the annually since 2017, when I brought an @NorthantsEPTeam feed during aim to inform and engage the public on enterprise approach to the project, September. personal and community preparedness and anchored in disaster risk reduction resilience. thinking. ‘September is Preparedness Month’ with They also form part of my research into the hashtag #30days30waysUK started emergency risk communication as a small on twitter and facebook. Loughborough University doctoral student, However, its impact looking at how capacities and capabilities was instant: spontane- for individual and collective preparedness By the fifth anniversary edition in 2019, ously it was taken up by are built from the ground up. colleagues who “The most important action the public can there was participation by 655 local immediately recognized take is to understand the risks they face and and national partners including the Met the potential to positively what they can do to prepare for engage the public and them.” (CRDF 2019). Office, the Environment Agency, the reach wide audiences. Thanks to historic he growing strength and impact of the British Red Cross, voluntary social media data, we T @30days30waysUK social media emer- now know that back then gency risk communication approach is organisations and many others - most five LRFs along with 36 undeniable. encouragingly, the campaign reached other partners ranging Most impressive of all is that it is realized from councils, health, with relatively little cost. At the core of an estimated 12.5 million twitter users police, commercial, this fully open source collaborative social society to NGOs and enterprise is the website  16 l Resilience COMMUNITY RESILIENCE

30days30waysUK.org.uk which acts as the Several themes so far identified for this year-round public hub. year will be familiar. Collaboration is sought and encouraged However, there are also new topics we are across the board either through email or - for looking to bring to the emergency risk colleagues - also via a dedicated space on communication table. Resilience Direct . Join us to discuss and help shape what This is now open. Our timetable in the run- undoubtedly will be another brilliant and up for #30days30waysUK 2020 is outlined impactful #30days30waysUK ‘September is below. Preparedness’ Month ◼

Run-up to #30days30waysUK 2020 timetable

Consultation on themes/resources shared March – May MONIKA AL-MUFTI NADIG is a Final schedule and guidance issued end of June co-founder of Local programme in place July – August @30days30waysUK. She is a Campaign run September PhD researcher at Analysis and debrief October - November Loughborough University, with a focus on DRR, emergency risk Additional resources: also see: communication, especially on CRJ article https://30days30waysuk.org.uk/ART-CRJ- social media and the emergence SocialMediaForEmergencyRiskCommunication_AlMufti_Maddams.pdf of volunteering and its UN DRR prevention web https://www.preventionweb.net/news/view/65987 integration into preparedness planning and policy Loughborough University https://volume.lboro.ac.uk/after-the-dust-has-settled/

How they did it in Devon

DEVON County Council have been an active supporter of 30days30waysUK since 2017. Participation is concentrated on Twitter mainly through @DevonAlert although other corporate accounts do retweet messages. The first year was a learning curve in deciding the frequency JOANNE MADDAMS is co- and tone of the messages. founder of @30days30waysUK As the majority of the daily subjects are constant, we now and inventor of have a list of tweets which are reviewed each year to ensure they remain current and then scheduled to post on the #30days30waysUK. relevant date. She is the Emergency Planning We also shared our list of suggested tweets with district Officer of Northamptonshire, councils and the organisation that provides community and has more than 30 years’ resilience on our behalf as well as encouraging others in the experience within the LRF to support the campaign. emergency management The scheduled tweets are frequently supplemented with field ,specialising in community retweets from other campaign supporters. The organisers have resilience, engagement and the now compiled a list of very useful resources (video clips, voluntary sector webpages, infographics) which helps to make the messages come alive and add variety. Although it is led by a member of the Emergency Planning Team we have been supported by colleagues in Communica- tions with suggestions and ideas to increase the reach. We would encourage any organisation to get involved in future years.

Resilience l 17 TECHNOLOGY

Early warning and crisis management in the social

media age By Peter Davies

s a global community, we are facing an A unprecedented challenge. The rapid spread of coronavirus to over 40 countries in these key organisations. If only it could be a matter of months has driven a seismic shift spotted and made usable at operational in daily life for billions of people. speed…….. Among his many roles as a It is estimated that now nearly half of the senior Police Officer in the UK, planet’s 3 billion-strong population is under o recap, we know that having the best PETER DAVIES was heavily some form of restriction, in accordance with T information at the moment of key deci- involved in strategic safety guidelines set out by national governments sion-making can profoundly impact an oper- partnerships and contingency trying to curb the spread. ation’s outcome, and we know that social In these exceptional circumstances, media is often the first – and last – port of planning, and commanded effective emergency planning and response call for individuals to share details of a criti- numerous real and exercised services within public infrastructure, of any cal incident. scenarios. category, both individually and collectively, But bridging the gap between the two He now works as an are crucial. comes with a number of legal, technical and independent consultant As with many sectors, the advance of tech- functional challenges. nology has reformed a number of conven- We also know that there is such a thing as applying digital technology to tional emergency response practices – with the “golden hour”, the start of managing an the cause of public safety. technology connecting those in emergency incident where key early decisions set the control rooms and joint agency co-ordination tone, and can dictate the ultimate prospects centres (JCCs) with those on the ground in a of success, for the remainder of the crisis faster and more secure manner than ever management cycle. before. What if technology could give us an extra But technology has not just reformed infor- half hour, creating a “golden 90 minutes” gathered and processed in line with a user’s mation’s transmission - it has also created instead? proactive query. Results are then presented entirely new formats, platforms, networks on a straightforward user-friendly dashboard. and opportunities. From theory to solution This information, available and updated on Consider this: most individuals will now a real-time basis - as in the case of Public- FORTUNATELY, there are services – such intuitively post about an incident on social Sonar - could provide an invaluable ‘early as PublicSonar – who have made it their media much faster and often, well before warning’ of a developing incident. mission to capture the relevant information consciously considering whether to report it These dynamic updates can also offer better from social media, in a way that is compli- to the emergency services. This instinctive attuned situational awareness for those in ant, streamlined and attuned to the sensitivi- usage has reached saturation levels in a num- JCCs, information units or police control ties of emergency response situations. ber of countries, including the Netherlands rooms, as well as their colleagues on the To risk oversimplifying the highly technical and the UK. ground. nature of these services, there are two What this means for our community is that When dealing with social media and indi- ‘behind-the-scenes’ phases: gathering there is often a wealth of information online viduals’ privacy, there are stringent information, and processing it to discern detailing any given incident of concern to regulations that must be adhered to. relevance to an incident of concern. emergency services – which could prove This is why we see intelligence-gathering Complex algorithms, and machine learning invaluable to decision-makers at all levels of functions, which that have used some of are used to pick up publicly available infor- these technologies improperly, hit the head- mation channeled through social lines from time to time. media. Given these sensitivities, it is vital that These technologies are then organisations in this field observe and com- combined with the good old- ply with legal frameworks such as GDPR, fashioned expertise and experi- Human Rights considerations, and the terms ence of responders to identify and conditions of each individual social relevant information. media platform. This second ‘phase’ can, for As well as the aforementioned, PublicSonar example, identify where key- is also industry certified - complying with word or sentiment traffic is ab- ISO 27001, the information security messag- normal, and flag emerging trends ing standard also used by banks.   or anomalies. Information is 18 l Resilience TECHNOLOGY

A vital tool for new challenges Valuable tools, like PublicSonar, cut through the noise of social media, to put the signal, System used potentially key information in front of the IN light of the challenges we are currently decision-makers who need it. across facing as a result of the coronavirus, services such as PublicSonar can prove a vital Europe addition to the toolkits of emergency To speak with someone about how “In this new and services. Public infrastructure globally is PublicSonar could work within your uncertain situation, feeling the strain. organisation, please contact The allocation and deployment of key public infrastructure [email protected] resources must be, more than ever, both across the board is facing thoughtful, intelligent and informed by all unprecedented demand. the best evidence available. At PublicSonar, we have been working Right now, PublicSonar is working with a number of regional health organisations with key infrastructure across the across the Netherlands - helping to equip Netherlands, UK, Germany, Belgium and their emergency response teams with Austria since 2012, and are proud to be comprehensive, clearly-presented and digest- supporting these vital organisations ible information. now, throughout this crisis, and be- The same service can also, for example, yond.” assess public access to critical infrastructure Sjors van den Dries, such as pharmacies and supermarkets. CEO, PublicSonar This supports a better-informed and more thoughtful understanding and management of the impacts of COVID-19. Especially sensitive to the perspective of ensuring access to essential goods and services - the starting point for most people in these critical times - emergency responders benefit from seeing sentiment reports for their locale, identifying - and taking steps to defuse - any emergent hotspots of shortage, malcontent and potential unrest. The same functionality can also be used to identify if and where a region may not have ready access to correct information and up to date government guidelines - allowing these to be deployed or pushed to the relevant areas.

here is no doubt in my mind of the value T that technology’s capacity to capture and process high volumes of information, and present key findings in a user-friendly, real-time interface, can offer to all emergency responders. Being as well informed as possible, and being led by the facts, is the bedrock of all good decision making. ◼ How PublicSonar presents real-time information on screen The proliferation of instinctive social media usage means that much potentially useful information is now visible online. From a practical perspective, gleaning relevant data from this wealth of publicly available information does not require considera- ble human time-spend as it would have 10 years ago. Access to this resource is instead enabled by the technology to scan, identify and col- late the key ‘needles in the haystack’ , allowing time to be spent carefully applying this information in strategic decision making. Now, more than ever, it is of great importance that we as EP / ER professionals have access to the best information possible.

"Of the relevant information that is flagged to us, 9 items out of 10 are received via PublicSonar." Senior Team Lead, Dutch Crisis Center

Resilience l 19 ANNIVERSARY

his summer marks T the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Britain. With the anniversary will come the age-old INVASION speculation about what would have happened if Hitler had invaded Britain in 1940. However, that answer is actually known, because of an extraordinary Table-Top 1940 exercise held in 1974. Resilience editor BOB WADE takes a look.

The Players THE Exercise was held in 1974 at the British Army’s officer training college at Sandhurst, with a scale model of southern England, built by the School of Infantry. The event was not just an academic exercise – this was the On the 80th anniversary of the height of the Cold War, and they were looking to see if there were any important lessons that could Battle of Britain, Resilience looks at be learnt from 1940, that would be valuable for fending off a latter-day Soviet invasion. an extraordinary table-top exercise The players were made up of officers from the British Army, that was held in 1974 Royal Navy and RAF for the British side, and from the three services of the Bundeswehr from what was then West Germany, for the German side. All players worked with the actual resources available and the The Scenario respective invasion and defence plans of 1940. The orale was high within Nazi Germany in 1940, its empire Admiralty provided the weather records for the period. M stretching from Warsaw in the East, to Calais in the West, with A further layer of authenticity was provided by the Umpires, who only Britain and Greece still holding out. were all serving senior Officers, but who had also served as young The Wehrmacht, celebrating their stunning victory over France, officers in 1940. They were (with their roles in 1940 in brackets): wanted to press on to invade Britain, with Herman Goring promising them air superiority. For Germany: Less enthusiastic was the German Navy, the Kriegsmarine. Although Germany had successfully invaded Norway, their navy had • Adolf Galland, the legendary air ace (Major commanding the 26 received a mauling from the Royal Navy and Norwegian coastal Jagdgruppe or Fighter Group). defences, with 10 German Destroyers and two Cruisers being sunk. • Admiral Friedrich Ruge (Kriegsmarine Minesweeping The Germany naval commander, Admiral Raeders, now had only 10 operations) Destroyers left, miniscule in comparison to Britain’s Royal Navy, the th largest navy in the world at the time. • General Heinz Trettner (Staff Officer with the 7 Raeders wanted the invasion put off until May 1941, when the Fallschrimjaeger Division) super-battleships, Bismark and Tirpitz – under construction at the time – would be ready. But the Wermacht convinced Hitler that this For Britain: would give Britain time to re-arm. • Air Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Foxley-Norris (RAF The German plan would be to create a corridor across the shortest Squadron commander) stretch of the Channel, defended by a wall of sea mines, the 10 remaining Destroyers, U-Boats and E-Boats (the German version of • Rear Admiral Teddy Gueritz (Midshipman on a Royal Navy the Motorised Torpedo Boat), as well as domination of the air by the Battle Cruiser) Luftwaffe. Through this would sail an assortment of requisitioned • Major General Glyn Gilbert (Officer in the Lincolnshire shipping, from ferries to over 1,200 river barges, converted into primitive landing craft. Regiment). The plan – called ‘Operation Sealion - was to put 330,000   20 l Resilience ANNIVERSARY

At the same time, over one million To register for FREEmen entry had flocked visit into the Home Guard. www.emergencyuk.comContrary to the image portrayed by ‘Dads Army’, these were not bumbling amateurs, but in the main fit and healthy men in their late forties-early fifties, that – most importantly – had seen much combat experience in the First World War. Also, while the USA was still neutral, President Roosevelt had found a back- door way of importing small arms to Britain, most of which went to the Home Guard. And then there was the Royal Navy. Despite major operations underway in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, the Royal Navy’s remaining Home Fleet was still a colossus compared the Kriegsmarine – made up of:

• four Battleships • three Battle Cruisers • two Aircraft Carriers • 18 Cruisers • around 60 Destroyers ◼ The Royal Navy attack a U-Boat during World War II • 40 Submarines   troops into South East England in three waves, and bring Britain • an armada of Minesweepers, Minelayers, MTBs etc. to its knees. The small port of Newhaven would be captured to put ashore a Panzer division, while German paratroops would capture Morale too in Britain was quite high, compared to the Lympne airport near Folkestone, to assist in the drive on this larger demoralisation and collapse that occurred in France. The British port, vital to land more troops and equipment. High Command were relieved to be free of trying to work with their former French Allies, while a popular refrain amongst the British The British Army by comparison, was in a parlance state. Despite public was a football adage: ‘Well, we’ve made it to the Final, and the heroism of the Dunkirk evacuation, militarily it was a disaster, its going to be a home match’. with over 500 tanks, most of its mechanised transport and its The British plan was to spread its Army and Home Guard artillery left smouldering on the beaches of France. detachments thinly along the likely invasion areas, holding back its The RAF meanwhile was grimly holding the Luftwaffe at bay, but main force until it knew for sure where the invasion would come. It only just. would then launch a massive counter-attack, speedily led by its Only 17 British Army Divisions (out of 25) were fully equipped. remaining armoured and mechanised transport units, not to mention However, they had been bolstered by the arrival of two new fully commandeered buses and trucks. equipped Divisions, one from Australia and the other from New Zealand. ◼ In 1940 the Royal Navy’s Home Fleet alone was a colossus compared to the German Kriegsmarine Startex

22 September: S-Day he first wave of the German invasion T saw 9 Divisions – 90,000 men – and the 7th Panzer Division land in the early hours on beaches between Folkestone in Kent and Brighton in Sussex, while the 7th Fallschrimjaeger (paratroops) landed and captured Lympne airfield in Kent. This was accompanied by a massive air assault, with the Luftwaffe carrying out 1,200 fighter and 800 bombing sorties before midday. The three British Army Divisions in Kent, along with local Home Guard units, were soon overwhelmed. The Germans captured the small port of Newhaven. The invasion fleet was attacked by a ‘small’ contingent of the Home Fleet, but the Royal Navy suffered – mainly through aerial attack – one Cruiser and three Destroyers being sunk, and three other ships damaged. However, they did sink three of the German’s precious  Resilience l 21 ANNIVERSARY

  Destroyers. Unloading facilities were limited at Newhaven, and the German forces began a determined attempt to capture Folkstone, a major Channel port, with a spearhead led by 7th Panzer to fan out east- wards through Hastings, and then onto Folkstone and Dover. The landing operation however was suffering badly from RAF bombing raids, not only on the beaches but also at the embarkation ports on the French side. The Royal Navy then sent a further Cruiser squadron to run the gauntlet in the narrows of the Channel, facing U-boats, E-boats, Coastal guns on the French coast, and 50 Stukas. Two more British ships were sunk, but the Royal Navy force reduced the German invasion fleet shipping by 25 per cent.

23 September: S-Day + 1 he battles were still raging in the skies, the RAF having lost T 237 aircraft (out of 1,048), and the Luftwaffe 233 (out of 1,456). The Royal Navy however, was massing a large force of Cruisers and Destroyers from the Home Fleet, holding back its ◼ main battleships and aircraft carriers  Depth charging underway by the Royal Navy

‘Hearing them coming down is a rotten experience’

oing through old family files, I found this letter written by my the clouds at Shenfield, followed G father during the Battle of Britain. He was 14 years old, the railway line to Brentwood and working as an errand boy at the local Co-op store in Brentwood, then proceed to bomb our station, Essex, on the border with east London. but luckily he missed. But some Brentwood was particularly badly hit, as it was home to the Army houses in Myrtle Road, about five Barracks at Warley, a pivotal position should invasion occur, and lay between the frontline RAF airfields of North Weald and Hornchurch. houses I think, are down to the Meanwhile, many panicked Luftwaffe bombers dumped their bombs ground, and the rest of the Road over Brentwood when they approached the first major line of Anti- have all their windows broken and Aircraft batteries defending London, at Romford. ceilings down. Uncle George had a He couldn’t get to post the letter until latter, so just kept adding to narrow escape being about only it. Here’s some extracts from the letter: 15 yards from the bomb. He escaped unhurt. 57 Kimpton Avenue, August 18th, 1940. The Warnings went last night, Brentwood, and this morning I came down ‘ Essex stairs and heard machine gun fire. Tonight I learn there has been another dog fight over Ongar High Dear Auntie Lill, Street. I suppose you are getting the raids down in Bath still. We’ve been rather lucky so far, though we had air raid warnings on Thursday evening, and PS – I keep going to post this letter Friday, and today. We were just dishing out the dinner when the sirens but I can’t just now. Well, today we’ve had it the worst down Shenfield. went. You couldn’t hear the Warnings for gunfire – a huge dog fight was being On Friday we heard German planes go over – some people said there fought overhead, and people fainted in the town. Bullets were found in were 500, but I don’t believe them. About a month ago, they dropped Kimpton Avenue… five High Explosive bombs on Hutton Mount. One fell in the Ridgeway and did not explode, and the Military could not find it. The Police roped …Our shop windows have been blown out by a Landmine, and we have a part of the Ridgeway oﬀ. But they let people through at their own risk. to work in electric light all day. An oil bomb dropped on the school I had to go along the Ridgeway after customers’ orders, but luckily the field… and another oil bomb fell in Barber’s Field where we play football. bomb was a dud. The worst night we’ve had was one Sunday night when the Germans High Explosive bombs also fell on waste land in Warley – some cows dropped 50 High Explosive bombs and 250 incendiary bombs on

were killed here. Also at Brook Street and Harold Wood, incendiary Brentwood district. Hearing them coming down is a rotten experience.

bombs were dropped. Yesterday, two shells were fired at a German Mum and Bill were coming over to the shelter when a Jerry dropped

raider, which was right over the top of Kimpton Avenue: some people some bombs. Bill dropped flat on the ground but poor Mum ran across

went down the shelters…. Grandad has gone down to Auntie Sass’s for the road in a panic. The bombs fell on the other side of Sawyers Hall ‘ the week. I was to have gone but I couldn’t get time oﬀ so I couldn’t. I farm. hope this war will hurry up and end…. Can’t think of any more now, Love from Bob. Well I wrote that letter last Sunday, since then we’ve had some excitement. Last Sunday there was a dog fight in which four German planes were brought down, one in flames, and one British Spitfire with Dad went onto to join the Army and fought in Burma. He always the pilot escaping by parachute. joked it was less dangerous than Brentwood in 1940! Then Wednesday, one German Dornier ‘Flying Pencil’ dropped out of

22 l Resilience ANNIVERSARY

  The Germans now landed the 22nd Airlanding Division at Lympne airfield, but immediately encountered a heavy bombardment from British long range guns, being vectored in by undercover British special forces still on site. By the end of the day, the Luftwaffe also lost a further 300 aircraft. The British counter-attack began in earnest with British armour concentrating on halting the German 34th Division drive on Hastings. The 7th Panzer Division was being impeded meanwhile, by continual ambushes by Home Guard units using Sticky Bombs and anti-tank obstacles. In addition, as they had been instructed, British civilians in areas facing the German advance littered all roads with broken glass, created as many obstacles as they could through felling trees etc, and strung bedsheets on washing lines across roads so the Germans could never be sure of what lay behind them. The first major British success was the Australian Division encircling Newhaven. However, the New Zealand Division arrived at Folkestone only to be attacked in the rear by the newly arrived German 22nd Airlanding Division. The New Zealanders suffered 35 per cent casualties, and fell back into Dover. As evening approached, the Royal Navy sent in 57 Destroyers and 17 Cruisers, and squadrons of MTBs, losing only two ships to U-Boats. A German flotilla of three Destroyers and 14 E-boats sped out of Le Havre to intercept the Royal Navy force, but was wiped out, with only seven E-boats escaping. were beginning to ◼ A British ship torpedoed by a U-Boat The situation was beginning to look desperate for the Germans. advance on Canterbury, to cut off Dover. Admiral Raeder insisted that all Luftwaffe operations must be to However, the Germans were beginning to take heavy losses at protect the next wave of the invasion fleet – Goring said this could Newhaven when the Australians and the British 45th Division only be achieved by halting the bombing of London, which he and attacked. Hitler thought vital to demoralise Britain and disrupt defence. Hitler The second wave of the invasion set sail from Calais and Dunkirk, vetoed Raeder. The next wave of the invasion was ordered to go but was caught 10 miles off the English coast by the Destroyers and ahead. Cruisers of the Home Fleet’s 5th Flotilla and a massacre took place, with 65 per cent of the packed German invasion barges being sunk. 24 September: S-Day + 2 he situation within the RAF was now at critical, having only 440 25 – 28 September: S-Day + 3 - 6 T aircraft left, with many airfields in the south of England left he failure of the second wave effectively meant the invasion could cratered ruins. German troops meanwhile had taken Folkestone and T only fail. The remaining German troops had ammunition for only a further two - seven days of fighting, and were gradually being ◼ British sailors celebrate the sinking of a U-Boat during World War II hemmed back into their original bridgeheads. The hopelessness of the situation was now understood, and Hitler ordered evacuation. Fast ferries and steamers began to ship out German troops from Rye and Folkestone, all the while under intense British attack by land, sea and air. Of the 90,000 German troops who landed on 22nd September, only 15,400 managed to return to France, the rest being killed or captured. The invasion was over ◼ Or, as we would say: Endex

* Pictures courtesy of the author’s late uncle, Bill Wade, who served in the Royal Navy during WWII.

A full account of the 1974 Table-Top exercise can be found in the book Operation Sealion, by Richard Cox Resilience l 23 The Emergency Planning Society

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