Metropolitan Police Camden Counter Terrorism Roadshow hits the spot

Business Continuity, support advice guidance

On Friday 30th July the Continuity Forum was delighted to support a Metropolitan Police initiative organised by the Camden Division aimed at providing practical advice and guidance to local businesses and organisations across their area to help combat terrorist threat and boost community continuity and resilience. 

The event was held at the Holiday Inn Bloomsbury near Russell Square, yards from the scene of the Russell Square Bombing on 7/7. 

Nine well attended presentations were held through the day covering a diverse range of Continuity and Security topics.  The Metropolitan Police and its  Counter Terrorism Command provided great information on training available through Operation Fairway scheme and Ordnance Disposal experts explained their work.

The Continuity Forum stand was busy throughout the day and we shared our thoughts on the broader issues for business, connecting the need for management to act and prepare for disruption from all sources, not just terrorism, further sessions were held on improving physical security, planning for tomorrow from Needhams, Fraud, Crime Prevention and CBRN.

Visitors were able to to get advice directly from Camden Councils Emergency Planning Team, British Transport Police, Camden's Safer Neighbourhood Team, London Fire Bridgade, Needhams 1834 and, of course, the Continuity Forum.  Other exhibitors had a range of services and products on offer from Grab bags to protective glass solutions.      

What was most notable about the day was the enthusiasm for information.  

This roadshow and other similar events we have attended shows just how vital it is for the different agencies and organisations working to secure and protect our communities to come together and engage with business and communities.  It is particularly impressive that this event was brought together given the pressure on budgets at the present time, though anyone attending would doubtless agree that the effort is well worth it. 

It has to be said that these events are catalysts, providing a ‘taster‘ and a roadmap for organisations to follow.  What this means though is that can’t be ‘one off‘  events if they are to be truly effective over the long term.

Organisations need on-going support and encouragement and especially important are initiatives like this Metropolitan Police Roadshow that enable sensible,reasoned discussion on Business Continuity and Security which really is vital if we are to engage and encourage with the hundreds of thousands of businesses that are currently not seriously enough planning for threats and disruption. 

Establishing the value of these events is hard and doesn’t fit the usual RoI model used, but through this type of work our communities will be safer and more resilient and the Met Police Camden Division are to be thoroughly congratulated for their efforts. 

The success of the day has laid a great foundation for further work that we firmly believe will help communities develop greater resilience and security and we hope that more forces will take and act in this area.

If you would like to run a community event and want to know more about how the Continuity Forum can help please do get in touch by clicking here or just give us a call.