UK Inquest Spotlights Issues in Terrorism Response

An official investigation into the 2005 terrorist attacks against London’s public transport system found that control centers were quickly overwhelmed by telephone calls and radio traffic, and recommended the use of plain English, not only on the radio, but in face-to-face conversations among public safety personnel. A team of suicide bombers set off explosions on a London double-decker bus and in three underground train tunnels, killing 56 people and injuring 700. In a 65-page report, a London coroner said control centers fielded calls from both citizens and each other, tying up phone lines. At the London Ambulance Service, a single dispatcher was assigned to handle two radio channels for all four of the bombing incidents, slowing responses. The underground explosions damaged radio train equipment, forcing operators to use their cellular phones to call for help. The Metropolitan Police radio network did not work beyond the stations, and other agencies had no underground coverage at all. The coroner also determined that the region’s emergency services didn’t sufficiently train together, failed to quickly mobilize for a major incident, and that the CAD geofile didn’t properly locate underground train stations. Many of the named agencies have already implemented improvements in their operations. Download (pdf) the coroner’s report—the control center issues are discussed starting with paragraph #121 and communications starting at #156 and #186.