Sample Solution

the day were sent to the attack scenes, where crews at nearby stations were ordered to hold back in case of further explosions. During the first few hours, LAS worked with other blue-light services such as St. John Ambulance and Red Cross to rescue and treat casualties, and take them to various London hospitals. St John Ambulance, the Red Cross, and surrounding ambulance services all supported one another; with more than 250 clinical staff involved in the emergency response and treatment of more than 400 patients, some of whom had significant life-threatening injuries. Emergency care and support was given, and within three and a half hours of the bombings-taking place, all of the patients were transported to hospital. For a short period of time, while under immense pressure, only life-threatening calls were attended to. Debriefs were held on the day and all staff who attended the scenes, or were involved in managing the incident, were offered counselling and welfare support.

“Putting in place an emergency response to rescue and treat the injured, care for survivors, and ensure the safety of the public, was an enormously complicated and difficult undertaking. It involved hundreds of individuals at the scenes, at hospitals, and within the emergency, transport and other services. It required the co-ordination of numerous different agencies under circumstances where communications were difficult when the causes of the emergency were unclear, and when future events were uncertain.” The speed of any response to a major attack is at least in part led by the manner in which the information coming into the organisation is received and assessed. Call handlers and their front-line managers play a pivotal role in this. The LAS deals with a high volume of calls and also has the capability to stay on the line with callers to assist them in providing first aid to those ill or injured. This is commendable and at normal times appropriate. The risk is that during a marauding attack call centres could become overwhelmed and working practices would need to change rapidly to meet the challenges of high demand. In order to test the readiness of the Ambulance Service, it is of the highest importance that the challenges of a multi-site attack are regularly practiced and tested. A recommendation for this is for a full testing and exercise programme should be developed to test the readiness of the LAS Control Room, including no-notic