Preparedness for acts of terrorism Taking a positive approach to crisis management

Terrorism Preparedness

This specialised area is led by two Principal Advisors with extensive experience of the potential impact of terrorist activity on an organisation. It is essential that the entire corporate risk assessment is based upon comprehensive planning assumptions that predict the possible impact on business across all of its activities from production, resilient critical operational infrastructure right through to corporate communications and pre-planned actions to protect reputation and share value.

Our pedigree for this is unsurpassed having worked with companies before, during and after a range of terrorist incidents dating back to the Grand Hotel bombing in Brighton in 1985, including the London attacks in 2005 and more recently, the incidents in Paris and Brussels. Our advisors have also led secure planning and delivery of world events including the 2012 Olympics, 2015 Rugby World Cup and recent NATO Summits.

Drawn from a background of strategic policing, emergency response, health, media and PR management the team has enormous experience of assessing risk and deploying a proportional, intelligence-based approach to its mitigation. Members of the team were directly involved in the 2014 review of the National Risk Assessment (NRA), a core component of the new Strategic Defence and Security Strategy published in 2015.

Of particular focus at the moment are threats to the business associated with lone gunmen, deprivation of facilities (long-term cordon around key assets), loss of key infrastructure etc. Our solutions include highly focused strategies to address the key risks and a clear training package for executives to ensure that value in the business is protected throughout any event.

Some questions you might want to consider:

• Do you have an effective crisis management plan? If so, it will have clear roles and responsibilities and you will know precisely who on the Board is responsible for it
• Has both the Board and the management team been adequately trained - has it taken part in simulated exercise to provide you and colleagues with appropriate assurance of its effectiveness and if so, how long ago?
• Has the organization pre-identified the Board Member/s who will lead during a crisis? In particular, who will be 'the face' of the business to the public and stake/shareholders
• Are the Board’s roles and responsibilities made absolutely clear in the plan, and has the board been trained on them recently?
• Does the business' crisis plans consider an assessed range of terrorist incidents (as opposed to assuming that it will be like a natural disaster-type event).

As a Director, you will intuitively know the answers to these questions. If you are reassured, then very well done! You're in much better shape than most of the businesses debilitated by recent events. If you're in any doubt though, please give us a call as we can help.

Contact us to talk about your issues through these pages or contact Jon Hall direct at jon.hall@resilienceadvisors.eu