Interviews

A severe year

by Mark Rowe

The year 2017 saw the UK terror threat raised to critical – first in May in the aftermath of the Manchester bombing and then again in September after the failed Parson’s Green Tube train attempt. Bruce McDonnell, pictured, Managing Director at Incentive FM, discusses the measures that the company took to support its clients and staff.

With the UK threat level at ‘severe’ for the past three years, facilities management companies like us have been playing a vital role in planning and preparing for any potential incidents. This includes the possibility of the threat level rising to ‘critical’, which means an attack is expected imminently. As a result when this happened earlier this year our team was ready to mobilise immediately, confident in the knowledge that we were ready.

Plans

At Incentive FM Group our portfolio ranges from high profile sites with significant footfall to local facilities and regardless of their size we apply the same rigorous preparations to each one. Each client has its own bespoke Critical Response Plan which includes guidance templates to assist in preparation to ensure that their procedures, personnel, training and equipment are fully reviewed to ensure we can respond to any situation. When the threat level was raised we worked with them to advise and agree additional actions based not just on the national threat but also on local intelligence. We also work in partnership with a number of agencies including National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO), Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI), Counter Terrorist Security Advisor (CTSA), Local Authorities and Local Government Resilience Forums. We are a key member of the Crowded Place Information Exchange (CPIE), Retail, Property Community (REVO) and network with key organisations to ensure we keep up to date with threats and risks so that information can be assessed and shared across the group.

While each client has different requirements there are a number of common actions. For example, we are likely to implement checks, searches and possibly even scanning of everyone entering the location which may also mean limiting the number of entrances. Depending on the size of the building, we would need to significantly increase the staff numbers just for this particular role, so where practical to do so we have already trained other staff across the total facilities management team in these duties. For example, deliveries are a potential issue with goods vehicles coming into the location creating another possible entry point for a terror attack. We may therefore consider organising alternative plans for deliveries such as reducing frequency, or arranging for the vehicles to be searched off-site and then escorted in.

Planning

We are well aware that should there be an attack the emergency services could be called upon to support other incidents so we have to assume that they will not be on hand to help – and even if they are they are likely to be delayed. This is where our planning proves its worth and so do our regular rehearsals. Our planning is focussed on two areas: firstly, how to help prevent an incident through increased vigilance; and secondly how to respond should there be an attack to mitigate any injuries or loss of life.

This is absolutely key and it vital that it includes all stakeholders including building relationships with government bodies and industry stakeholders and clients. We hold monthly meetings with the clients’ management team as well as having regular updates with the emergency services. Similarly, we meet with the larger retailers regularly to rehearse desktop procedures for every eventuality and regularly review our plans.

Communication

Communication is vital to ensure that not only does everyone know the details of the plans and safety procedures but, perhaps more importantly, what their role will be. We have to ensure that balanced and factual advice and guidance is given without causing message fatigue or causing anxiety. However, the only way you will know if your preparations are sufficient is by testing and rehearsing them. Where appropriate our locations have all undergone an independent Physical Security Assessment. This is a good way of testing your defences, control systems and evacuation plans. An external body provides a holistic comprehensive examination of the physical security of your centres evaluating their effectiveness.

Our preparedness and organisational learning is helped by holding regular desk top exercises, working with local resilience forums and adopting the emergency services method of incident management. We regularly hold seminars and sharing good practice around threat level planning with clients, teams and managers which helps increase knowledge, build confidence and build resilience at all levels within the team. A key consideration for us is that our staff feel safe enough to come to work and by involving them in the planning, preparation and rehearsal the feedback we have is that they feel very reassured.

Training

As well as our own in-house training we have been able to benefit from some additional external guidance which has been invaluable. A number of our senior management team have undergone the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP) training, which offers practical guidance to help improve a multi-agency response to an incident. Our learnings from this have been cascaded to other members of staff throughout our portfolio. We have also been looking at additional training for our FM staff who don’t hold traditional security roles. In particular, we need to ensure we have enough female staff that are able to do stop and search when needed. As a result, we have invested in additional SIA training across many of our sites.

While our people are without doubt the best defence against an attack, it is important that we support them with the best equipment. This might include new digital radios with tracking devices and tannoy systems to ensure that we are able to communicate messages to staff and visitors during an incident.

All of us at Incentive are aware of the important role we play in this vital area and are committed to doing everything we can to prevent an incident. Working together with our clients and suppliers we can ensure that we minimise risks by being alert, reporting suspicious behaviour and carrying out our duties to the highest possible standards. However, should the worst happen we and our clients are fully prepared with the best training, planning and equipment across all of our locations.

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