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Emergency Response 2009: Communicating in a Crisis

About the event:

**Conference presentations available here.**

During large scale emergencies, the need to communicate quickly and efficiently is paramount to ensuring a successful emergency response. Communications networks need to be resilient to a wide range of threats and hazards. In addition, secure and reliable channels of communication need to connect: all the emergency responder agencies; different geographical regions; Gold, Silver and Bronze commands; and frontline responders with their respective control rooms. It is also important to consider the role of the media within these communication networks, to whom the public may turn first for information. 

Emergency Response 2009: Communicating in a Crisis will explore the current UK capabilities for sharing and exchanging information during multi-agency operations. Presentations will focus on the technology available, the processes and procedures that govern and inform emergency communications, and the development and roll-out of new equipment. The behaviour and requirements  of the people and organisations that make up the communications chain will also be explored.

CONFIRMED CONTRIBUTORS

• Kathy Settle, Deputy Director, Civil Contingencies Secretariat, Cabinet Office
• John Toker, Director of Counter-terrorism Communications, Cabinet Office
• Tony Morris, Senior Emergency Management Advisor, West Sussex County Council
• Richard Wyrwas, Director of Government Business, Paradigm Secure Communications
• Lucy Yu, Cabinet Office
• Ian Cameron, News Editor, BBC Nations and English Regions
• Jeremy Kemp, Design Authority, FireControl Project, Department for Communities and Local Government
• Andy Barr, Network Co-ordination Manager, Transport for London
• David Happy, Managing Director, Annoxe Limited
• Olaf Baars, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Director of Service Delivery, Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue
• Doug Turner, Chairman of London Sector Utilities and Deputy Group Director, Group Engineering Services, BT
• Chief Superintendent Michael Hallowes, National Policing Improvement Agency Interoperability Programme
• Jeanette Innes, Assistant Director, Programme Manager for Telecommunications Resilience, Civil Contingencies Secretariat, Cabinet Office
• Colonel Stuart Notholt, Stuart Notholt Communications Ltd
• Trevor Groves & Greg Mossop, Raynet Emergency Planning Team

SESSION OUTLINES

• Session one: Assessing UK capabilities, identifying barriers
  How capabilities are assessed, what barriers to successful interoperability have been identified and what is being done to overcome them. This session will address lessons identified from past experience and explain how close working between agencies can be better enabled.
• Session two: Technology and systems
  A discussion of recent developments in interoperable technologies, systems and procedures used by the emergency services and other Category 1 and 2 responders. The session will consider communications as part of the CNI, the role of telecom providers as Category 2 responders and how the private and public sectors need to work together.
• Session three: Communications resilience
  An examination of the resilience of communication networks plus a look ahead to how networks will evolve in the future and what will need to be done to ensure that resilience is maintained or strengthened across the UK, the EU and internationally.
• Session four: Information flow: connecting with the public
  What information do the public need and how do they access it? This session will look at government communication strategies, the role of the media, the importance of interactive systems for warning and informing, and future challenges that may emerge.

This conference forms part of RUSI's ongoing research project Communications Interoperability in a Crisis. 

For enquiries relating to involvement and sponsorship of this event, please contact Jennifer Cole on Jenniferc@rusi.org or +44 (0)20 7747 4958.