UK Disasters and Emergency Service Communications

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UK Disasters and Emergency Service Communications

• Ronald Hewlett
• UK Home Office
• e-mail ronald.hewlett_at_homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

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This presentation covers

• Role of the UK Home Office as regards the
  Emergency Services
• Gives brief details of three UK disasters
• Highlights the main recommendations affecting
  Emergency Service communications
• Lists some of the lessons learnt

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Role of Home Office

• Government Department responsible for
• Police in England and Wales
• Fire Brigades in England and Wales up to Summer
  2001
• Emergency planning up to Summer 2001
• Airwave project - TETRA trunked radio system for
  Police and other associated users
• NOT responsible for Ambulance Service or for
  British Transport Police

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Disasters that have affected Police/Fire
Communications

• Kings Cross Underground Fire
• Clapham Junction Railway Accident
• Hillsborough Football Stadium

End
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Kings Cross Underground

• Fire in escalator thought to be caused by a
  smoker not extinguishing a match
• 31 people died and many were injured
• Recommendations on communications
• British Transport Police be able to communicate
  with London Fire Brigade
• Fire ground communications below ground to be
  improved

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Clapham Junction

• Two trains collided in South London, shortly
  followed by another travelling in the opposite
  direction
• 35 people died and nearly 500 injured
• Recommendation on communications
• Emergency Services provide radio communications
  at site to facilitate liaison between control
  unit and experts

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Hillsborough Stadium

• 95 people died and over 400 injured just after
  the start of a football game
• Main cause was severe overcrowding in part of the
  stadium
• A number of recommendations were made regarding
  the use of radios, method of operation and
  providing sufficient operators to handle the
  traffic

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Lessons Learnt (1)

• Good communications between all involved
  organisations at scene and elsewhere is vital
• Senior people at the scene need to communicate on
  a dedicated radio channel
• Sufficient operators needed to handle the traffic
• Disasters affect a wide area around the scene

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Lessons Learnt (2)

• Detailed disaster plans need to be developed and
  tested regularly using different scenarios
• Separate dedicated communications nets for
  individual tasks/organisations with ability to
  link as required
• Arrangements needed for rapid priority access to
  public mobile phone networks

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Standardisation

• Primary requirement is linking between different
  communications systems
• ETSI taking this into account in the development
  of the TETRA system
• Lots more work to do on this topic, both from a
  technical and operational viewpoint

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Separate handout

• This gives more details of each disaster and the
  recommendations made on communications
• Details of publications consulted to prepare this
  presentation
• Suggested sources of advice and information

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Any Questions?
Title
Contents
Role of HO
Disasters
Kings X
Clapham
Hillsborough
Lesson 1
Lesson 2
Standardisation
Handout