Police Have Launched Public Counter-Terror Training, What You Need to Know
Counter Terrorism Policing have opened their award-winning ACT Awareness eLearning package to the public for the first time. Anyone can now become a CT Citizen, free of charge, and learn how to identify and deal with security risks. It’s a good opportunity to develop your knowledge and help the police and other emergency services to keep communities safe.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Lucy D’Orsi, Senior National Coordinator for Protective Security said:
“ACT Awareness eLearning is especially useful for anyone working in or regularly visiting crowded places.”
It’s a reminder to everyone the need for constant vigilance, especially during this time of year. We’re answering the key questions on the ACT Awareness course, how you can better protect yourself and secure your business from the threat of terrorism.
What Does the Course Involve?
It is made up of seven modules than in total take an estimated 45 minutes. It allows you to pause and re-join at any time, starting where you left it.
The modules are as follows:
- Introduction to Terrorism
- Identifying Security Vulnerabilities
- How to Identify and Respond to Suspicious Behaviour
- How to Identify and Deal with a Suspicious Item
- What to do in the event of a Bomb Threat
- How to Respond to a Firearms or Weapons Attack
- Summary and Supporting Materials
In most modules, there are different scenarios, such as a bomb threat phone call, where you’ll be asked to identify risks and decide how to act. You will also be asked more specific questions like the procedure for setting a cordon.
It also has media footage from aftermath of real terror attacks, including the Manchester Arena. The course’s aim is to provide accredited guidance to help industry understand risks and reduce the threat from terrorism. More than 1.5 million modules have been completed so far.
The course is hosted by online training specialists Highfield. To register and start learning, click here.
What’s the UK’s Current Threat Level?
The UK’s terrorism threat level is Substantial, meaning an attack is likely. It was lowered from Severe on the 4th November 2019, a decision made by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC). JTAC is an independent body that evaluates intelligence, terrorist capabilities and intentions.
What to Do in A Terrorist Attack
Run to a place of safety, it’s far better than to surrender or negotiate.
If you can’t run, Hide. It’s better than confrontation. Turn your phone to silent and off vibrate. If you can, barricade yourself in.
Tell the police by calling 999, only when it is safe to do so.
What Behaviour or Activity Could be Considered Suspicious?
Terrorists require time to plan, do research, gather materials, store materials, perform reconnaissance and find a way to finance their activities.
Research
Look out for someone who travels, especially when away for long periods but is vague about where. They may also have multiple passports in different names. It’s also likely they’ll look at extremist material that promotes terrorism or hateful ideas and create similar content themselves.
Gathering and Storing Materials
They may receive deliveries for unusual items, like large amounts of chemicals or gas cylinders. Suspicious materials also include possessing firearms or the individual may have shown an interest in acquiring them.
Take note of anyone storing any of these suspicious materials or hiring large vehicles for no reason.
Hostile Reconnaissance
Reconnaissance is a bit aspect of terrorists planning regime. This will involve them taking photos or note of security measures such as CCTV cameras.
Financing
Fraud is one of the main ways that terrorists are funded, watch out for anyone making unusual bank transactions.
This information is from the ACT Campaign website.
How Do I Report Suspicious Behaviour or Activities?
You can report online via www.gov.uk/ACT or you can call the police in confidence on 0800 789 321. In an emergency you should always call 999.
What Information Will the Police Need?
The police will need as much detail as possible, whether it’s clothing an individual was wearing, their age, height, ethnicity and what they were doing. The more specific the information the more helpful it will be, like car registration numbers or even their name if you know it.
Protecting Your Business
Employers have a duty of care to their employees and anyone at their place of work to protect them against risk and create a safe working environment. An effective security plan is vital to identify, understand and mitigate the threats, making it more difficult for terrorists to carry out attacks.
Conduct a Risk Assessment
A risk assessment will help to determine what the most probable threats are to your business. You should look at all vulnerabilities and how any security breaches would affect you and your staff. You must meet all the regulations applicable to your business, including health and safety and fire safety. By conducting a risk assessment, you can then implement measures that will effectively reduce risks, as opposed to spending money unnecessarily.
Your local Counter Terrorism Security Advisor (CTSA) can help with this process. CTSA’s provide advice to support businesses in reducing risk of terrorism threats.
Create and Implement a Security Plan
Your security plan must align with any of your existing emergency plans and other policies. It must make it clear what the procedures are in each threat situation and contain an emergency, search and contingency plan. As well as, your communication strategy for speaking to family, friends and the media in the event of an incident.
All security plans must have core instructions:
- Don’t touch any suspicious items.
- Everyone should be moved to a safe distance, out of sight and stopped from approaching. People should be behind hardcover if necessary.
- Communicate with staff, visitors and any members of the public.
- The police must be notified.
- Whoever found the suspicious item or saw the incident must stay on-site to speak to the police.
All plans should be reviewed, tested regularly and updated when necessary. When testing the plans, key business function should be able to continue during disruptions.
If you’re acquiring or extending your premises, security requirements should be considered at the planning stage, it’s cheaper and much more effective.
Physical Security
Your security plan should include the physical security of your premises, to prevent unauthorised access. Remember that physical security should Deter Detect and Delay any threats by creating a hostile environment for any criminals or terrorists.
Personnel Security
The plan must reduce risk to staff and prevent exploitation of staff and insider threats. Staff should be fully cooperative with the security plan. All security procedures should be supported by senior staff to encourage adoption throughout the business. When recruiting staff, pre-employment screening is necessary to make sure applicants are who they say they are and can legally take the job, always follow up by checking references.
Cyber Security
Cyber security is one of the most significant risks to businesses in modern times. You must review the vulnerabilities in your system, state in your security plan how you will prevent an attack and how you would manage a cyber incident if it occurred. The National Cyber Security Centre has cyber security advice for all types of organisations if you need assistance.
The Responsible Person
The person responsible for security must be in a position of authority and have the capabilities to instigate action during and following a security threat. It will be their duty to formulate, maintain and review contingency and search plans. They will also be the one to liaise with emergency services and have the obligation of staff training, to ensure the security plan is fully understood. They must be involved in the site’s perimeter security, access controls and any new buildings or renovations.
This person is also responsible for contacting the local Counter Terrorism Security Advisor (CTSA).
Staff Preparedness
All staff must be encouraged to be vigilant, particularly for unusual bags or items in odd places and people showing unusual behaviour. They must fully understand and know how to fulfil their obligations under the security plan. Employees should feel they can report anything suspicious and that it will be taken seriously. Encourage your staff to take the ACT Awareness course and become a CT citizen, to support the safety of your business and all the people that are part of it.
The Sixty Second Check
The Sixty Second Check is a quick checklist to improve staff reactions in an emergency. Employers should make sure all their staff know the answers to:
- Who is in charge of making decisions on the shop floor, and do they know what they’re doing?
- How do you enter and exit the building in emergency?
- How do you lock down quickly?
- Where can you hide?
- Have you briefed your staff?
Good Housekeeping
Good housekeeping is key to maintaining effective business security and stop you from becoming vulnerable to threats. It involves cleanliness of pubic areas, keeping unoccupied rooms locked, testing and monitoring all equipment around the premises, appropriate mail-handling procedures as well as policies for disposing of confidential waste.
More information on mail handling is also available here.
Building Access
You should strongly consider an access control system, which can meet both your business requirements and provide the required level of security to eliminate threats. Your risk assessment will help to inform this process.
Any access control system you introduce must comply with the correct legislation and work with your security plan. You should aim to keep access points to a minimum, consider giving staff or frequent visitors passes or fobs. Avoid physical keys as they can easily be lost or stolen.
Your physical security, whether CCTV surveillance or an alarm system, can be fully integrated you’re your access control to create a stronger security system at all levels. If your access control system breaks down, you need to know the appropriate next steps which must be included in your security plan.
Personal Safety
Employers and employees must as individuals also be responsible for their own personal safety, online security and situational awareness. To protect yourself you need to consider your own vulnerabilities, the level of threat to you and whether your profession, where you work, live or your personal history has an influence on what the risks are.
What’s the Law?
Employers have responsibilities under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requires employers to do what is reasonably practicable to mitigate risks and ensure a healthy and safe working environment. As well as, the safety of employees, self-employed and any of the public that could be affected by the organisation’s work activities.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires employers to control the risks to employers and anyone that may be affected by their work.
There should be cooperation between owners, managers, staff and others involved on the premises to work together to implement security plans and test to improve response. Staff must be provided with effective training, information and equipment to act accordingly and deal with any serious danger and terrorist incidents.
Under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, Part 1 emergency services and local authorities have a legal obligation to assess the risks of emergencies and use this information to inform contingency planning and put in place business continuity management arrangements.
This is not an exhaustive list of the legislation, you’ll find more sector-specific guidance from the Government here.
You should also read the advice contained in the managing the risks from terrorism.
Further advice on business security measures and counter-terrorism procedures can be obtained from the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO), Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) or the Counter Terrorism Policing Website.
All ARK employees undertake Counter Terrorism training to ensure that they remain vigilant to the fact that the threat exists.
About APG
The Asset Protection Group comprises a group of Fire & Security companies with shared ownership and one common goal, protecting your most important assets. As a collective group, we look to offer protection to your assets to assist you with your ongoing success within your own business.