crisis response - rsyd
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WATER POLITICSCLIMATE, SECURITY, HEALTH, PEACE
CRISISRESPONSE VO L : 1 1 | I S S U E : 2 | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 5 W W W . C R I S I S - RE S P O N S E . CO M J O U R N A L
PLUS: Terrorist attacks in Ankara and Paris; Chemical weapons in Syria and Iraq; Fire Services and social engagement; Disaster risk
reduction and resilience; Critical infrastructure protection; Research & Development, a round-up of cutting-edge technologies
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CRISISRESPONSE
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Editor in ChiefEmily [email protected]
Chief Scientific EditorIan Portelli, PhD, [email protected]
Urban Resilience EditorAndy [email protected]
Design and ProductionTim Baggaleywww.graphicviolence.co.uk
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SubscriptionsCrisis Response Journal is published quarterly; it is available by subscription in hard copy, digital and onlineTel: +44 (0) 208 1661690; [email protected]
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Published by Crisis Response Journal LtdPO Box 6269, Thatcham, RG19 9JX, UKTel: +44 (0) 208 1661690; [email protected] www.crisis-response.com COPYRIGHT Crisis Response Journal Ltd 2015 Articles published in Crisis Response Journal may not be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the Editor in ChiefPrinted in England by Buxton PressISSN 1745-8633
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December 2015 | vol:11 | issue:2
contentsNews ����������������������������������������������������������������4Comment ���������������������������������������������������������8We hope total infrastructure breakdown won’t happen in Europe but, nevertheless, we must be prepared for such an eventuality, warns Prince Michael of Liechtenstein
Incident analysisDisasters at the Hajj ��������������������������������������10More than 1,000 people were killed in two unrelated incidents at this year’s Hajj, reports Tony Moore, who investigates what happened
Rally bombings in Ankara ������������������������������14Tony Moore describes how suicide bombers killed 102 people at a peace rally in Turkey
Paris attacks: A chronology ���������������������������16Christophe Libeau outlines the events that occurred in Paris on November 13, 2015, describing emergency services’ activities
Paris attacks: Resource management �����������18Christophe Libeau describes how the Paris Fire Brigade manages its manpower and resources during times of extreme emergency
Paris attacks: On the frontline ������������������������20Incident Commander Michel Rimélé gives a personal account of response operations during the terrorist attacks in Paris
FeaturesToday’s CBRN landscape �������������������������������22The CBRN threat – or at least the perception of it –has never been more in the spotlight, says Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, but the international community can prepare itself and be more resilient
Command decision dilemmas ������������������������24Dr Dave Sloggett looks at the issues that arise in command decision-making at dynamic events, such as terrorist attacks
A continued threat ������������������������������������������26The nature of the terrorist threat is evolving – response and planning must adapt too, says Roger Gomm
Senior management engagement ������������������28The reluctance of senior business leaders to engage in crisis preparedness must be addressed, according to Dominic Cockram
Manchester: United ����������������������������������������30County Fire Officer Peter O’Reilly describes how GMFRS is striving to position the fire service as a health asset
Social safety not social unrest �����������������������32A Swedish rescue service’s engagement with local communities after civil unrest has paid off, write Ulf Nilsson and Attila Jensen
Balancing civil security and defence �������������34Todd M Rosenblum’s insight into treading a tightrope between policy, perception, reality and saving lives, based on his experience at the Departments of Homeland Security and Defense
Civil-military: Working together ���������������������38Rebecca Sutton presents some perceptions of civil-military relations and humanitarian assistance in West Africa, garnered from an innovative course held recently
Developing resilience ������������������������������������40Are we putting enough into preparedness and capacity building before a disaster? John Holland investigates
Community engagement p32Terrorist attacks in Paris p16
MI | DICOM | F Pellier Räddningstjänsten Syd
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CRISISRESPONSEcontents Cover story: Water politics
Cover image: Jorgen McLeman
Disaster diplomacy ����������������������������������������42We must learn to use disaster diplomacy better, because it is a great tool for more effective disaster risk management, says Dr Albrecht Beck
Getting to the scene safely �����������������������������44The benefits of Emergency Vehicle Preemption systems are detailed by Anthony Hildebrand
Global road safety crisis ��������������������������������46Road risk is a global problem of ‘epidemic’ proportions, with crashes killing more people than malaria, explains Emma MacLennan
Will Smart Cities dream of resilience? ����������48Smart Cities are being addressed as a series of silos, making them vulnerable, according to David Prior
Networking for protection ������������������������������51Simona Cavallini, Julia Friedl and Margherita Volpe introduce a new sustainable networking meeting point for Critical Infrastructure Protection in Europe
Keeping the power on ������������������������������������52Tony Kingham argues that societies should be investing in permanent, multi-faceted solutions to protect critical infrastructure
WaterWater for peace and resilience ����������������������54Adapting the UNDAC system ��������������������������58Floods in Sierra Leone �����������������������������������62French Riviera Floods ������������������������������������64Reducing motorist deaths ������������������������������66California drought update ������������������������������68From policy to emergency response ��������������70Reducing coastal risk ������������������������������������74
TechnologyResearch & Development ������������������������������76Dr Ian Portelli and Megan Mantaro introduce a new regular section, prompted by the popularity of CRJ’s online R&D blogs, and look at a new location referencing system in more detail
Drones in the emergency services �����������������78UAVS are one of the most talked about technologies of the last 12 months: Andrew Griffiths presents some practical considerations for first responders who might be considering investing in this technology
Ham radio in Belgium ������������������������������������80Emily Hough looks at how amateur radio operators in one province of Belgium are working with authorities to provide emergency communications in the event of a major blackout
Monitoring critical buildings ��������������������������83Evangelos Sdongos and Dr Angelos Amditis describe a system that provides near real-time damage assessment of buildings’ condition and damage after a disaster such as an earthquake or terrorist attack
In DepthAdvanced situational awareness �������������������86Legal liability in nuclear accidents ����������������90Effective decision-making records �����������������92
RegularsEvents ������������������������������������������������������������94Looking back ��������������������������������������������������96Europe������������������������������������������������������������97Frontline ���������������������������������������������������������98Emily Hough speaks to Henri Ladyi, who demobilises rebel militias, especially child soldiers, in DR Congo
The final push for a climate deal at COP21 was ongoing
as CRJ went to press. Meanwhile, rainfall of near biblical intensity had lashed many areas, including Sierra Leone, India, the UK and France.
The theme of this issue is water, including flooding, of course. Time and time again, our expensive defences built to protect communities and infrastructure seem to fail, our models and predictions become overwhelmed by ever more extreme climate events. As Patrick Lagadec has often stated: Are we fighting the last war?
And this is a controversial question, but one that needs to be asked: When do areas become too dangerous for human habitation? Should relocation – as a strategy of last resort – be discussed more widely? Last year, the San Remo consultation, organised by UNHCR, examined the issue of planned relocation owing to sudden onset disasters, acute environmental degradation and longer term effects of climate change. It found that those working on climate change adaptation frameworks are often unfamiliar with the experiences of resettling communities, whether as part of dam projects or resettling refugees in other countries. “The silos which characterise work on this issue are immense,” it said, which is worrying, given the virtually unimaginable long-term, generational, financial and human costs relocating vulnerable or untenable communities would entail.
It would take a brave – or possibly politically suicidal – government to tell large numbers of its citizens that it can no longer shield them from extreme climate events and that relocation is the least unattractive option.
In a draft document ahead of COP21, the UN proposed a climate change displacement co-ordination facility, to provide organised migration and planned relocation, as well as compensation to people fleeing rising sea levels, extreme weather and ruined agriculture. The reference was dropped from the draft.
But it is clear, though decidely unpalatable, that relocation will have to be considered in some areas and the duty of all those involved in emergency preparedness, mitigation and response is to familiarise themselves with existing experience and consequences, and consider how this could affect them, their roles and communities.
Emily Hough
Mathijs van Ledden Peace Direct
Coastal protection p74 Demobilising child soldiers p98
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Educational projects for secondary school students, school fire safety officers, fire and safety hosts, home visits and home parties – these are just some of the
many activities that Räddningstjänsten Syd has used in recent years to both reduce the number of arson and other accidents, and to increase knowledge among members of the public on how to protect themselves. These initiatives have also reduced violence and threats against rescue services staff and promote a greater sense of safety in society. The journey continues with an imminent new action programme set to up the pace.
Räddningstjänsten Syd is one of Sweden’s larger rescue services, with responsibility across five municipalities in the southern region of Skåne: Burlöv, Eslöv, Kävlinge, Lund and Malmö. Its mission is to prevent accidents and to respond to incidents. The rescue service also works on community planning, organ transport, fire safety inspections and permits for flammable and explosive goods, as well as training, information and advice for the public, organisations and businesses.
To complement the more technical and operational side of its work, Räddningstjänsten Syd has also introduced a social dimension. This encompasses concepts such as target group adaptation, volunteering, networking and social safety. The social dimension reaches beyond the rescue service’s traditional remit, and demands greater collaboration with municipalities and other civil society organisations, in order for its work to be a success.
It all began with the riots in Rosengård. In December 2008, the police were called to enforce an eviction from a basement mosque occupied by young people protesting against the fact that an Islamic cultural society was having to leave the premises, since the property owner had not extended its lease.
Conflict arose and soon turned into unrest, with arson attacks and stone throwing. The riots that ensued caught all public authorities by surprise. Communication and collaboration between the authorities was dysfunctional, and there was a clear lack of trust between citizens and authorities. The crisis of confidence and anger was initially directed not against the rescue service, but against the parties involved in the actual eviction process. However, the eviction proved a flashpoint.
Community paralysisIn addition to unrest and riots in the immediate vicinity of the incident, the rescue service had to cease responding to callouts more widely and several months of recurring fires paralysed the local community deep into spring 2009.
Räddningstjänsten Syd took two strategic decisions early on, the first being to secure the working environment for members of the rescue service so that emergency rescue missions could be carried out. The second decision was to build relations with the local community so the rescue service was always welcome, whatever its reason for being there.
The rescue service’s approach was not to throw up defensive walls. Instead, the focus was on meeting local citizens in their daily lives, on their terms. Meetings, visiting work and relationship-building
activities were given the highest priority. The emphasis shifted from ‘telling them about us’ to ‘asking them what they needed from us’.
Key success factors included involving the rescue service’s own employees in developing activities, and increasing collaboration, not only with the authorities, but also with individuals and groups of citizens, local associations, property owners and so on.
Two core projects on a general level, funded by the European Social Fund (ESF), were implemented in 2009-2010 and 2011-2012. One focused on ethnic diversity and the other on equal opportunities. The projects led to the employment of colleagues with a different ethnic background, the majority of them women. This has made it possible for the organisation to communicate and establish relations with local citizens even more effectively.
Below are examples of more activities: ● Establishing a collaborative model ‘Ear to the Ground’, weekly
informal meetings for exchanges of information with the police and various municipal and district representatives;
● Fact-finding studies to the UK for employees;
Setting sights on social
Ulf Nilsson and Attila Jensen of Räddningstjänsten Syd, Sweden, describe how sustained targeted engagement activities with local communities after civil unrest and riots in 2008 have increased community safety and have reduced violence against rescue workers
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● The Rescue Service In Sync with the Kids project (RISK), where secondary school students spend some of their lesson time at a local fire station;
● Setting up a permanent presence in local authority drop-in centres in the local districts;
● Summer holiday programme for young people; ● Swedish For Immigrants (SFI) educational and
information activities for new arrivals; ● Three rounds of home visits (2010, 2012, 2014/2015),
totalling around 8,000 home visits in the local area to provide information and conduct a dialogue on fire safety and what to do in the event of a fire;
● Home parties – targeted at women with limited knowledge of the Swedish language and little day-to-day interaction with Swedish society;
● Regular patrols – citizens and authorities working together in the local community to promote mutual trust; and
● The presence of fire safety officers in schools. Räddningstjänsten Syd has seen positive results on
various fronts. Fires in the area – both in buildings and outdoors – have halved from the levels of 2008 and 2009.
Stones are no longer thrown at employees. There used to be 15 to 20 incidents per year, and now there are practically none. Residents are now much better informed about fire safety in the home and the rescue service is more involved. Collaboration between organisations and authorities has improved. There is a confident belief that the authorities will not be caught by surprise in the same way again.
So could the events that transpired in December 2008 have been predicted? Taking a broader world view and a more proactive approach, the association could have
spotted signs of unrest and riots in areas with high levels of unemployment and exclusion in several cities around the globe (including in London and Paris) in the late 1990s.
The mosque fire of April 2003 opened the organisation’s eyes. At that time, the main mosque in Malmö was ablaze and people wanted to help fight the fire, but the rescue service denied them access. This was a case where the culture of the rescue service clashed with the culture that existed in the local community. Understanding of how the rescue service worked was non-existent and the rescue service had no understanding of, or organisation for, dealing with these people in this time of grief/crisis. There was no preventive collaboration, no coming together.
It was this incident that prompted the majority of activities aimed at bringing the two sides together. Projects involving bridge builders were initiated, but their focus was largely on ‘explaining about the service and how we work’. However, the focus from 2008 onwards has increasingly been on mutual need and the relationship between the rescue service and both the individual citizen and society at large.
Räddningstjänsten Syd considers that its strategy from 2009 has been fruitful from many perspectives. The number of fires has decreased, the number of informed and trained citizens has increased, the threatening behaviour and stone throwing have almost vanished and the sense of social safety among those living in the ‘worst’ areas has increased. Most of this is related to the sustainable work made by the firefighters and officers as a part of their ordinary work, together with information that officers can communicate in different languages.
By using their competence and trust in a new way, they have reached results that are far better than were hoped for when starting this journey.
AuthorsUlf Nilsson is Assistant Chief Officer, Räddningstjänsten Syd Attila Jensen is District Manager, Räddningstjänsten
Syd, Sweden
community
safety, not social unrest
The focus from 2008 onwards has increasingly been on mutual need and the relationship between the rescue service and both individual citizens and society at large
Räddningstjänsten Syd