16 Nov MET Police Counter Terrorism advice for Hammersmith businesses
The BID has been in discussion with the Metropolitan police and the borough commander’s office to issue some counter terrorism advice for Hammersmith businesses in the wake of the recent events in Paris.
Whilst the news of the attacks over the weekend is very worrying, there are no specific threats to the UK at this time but the threat level remains at Severe – meaning that an attack is highly likely and has been since August 2014, when the level was raised.
The MET police have deployed many additional high visibility reassurance patrols in London, specifically on the underground and transport hubs and CCTV have been tasked with extra vigilance of suspect packages and suspicious behaviour across the borough to catch any threat.
Local Safer Neighbourhood Teams are on patrol and visiting businesses concerned about the current situation.
Also the Counter Terrorism office has issued the following advice and attached information:
• Have your emergency plans in place
• Make sure all your staff are aware of what they need to do
• Remember your plans but the situation will be fluid and use your best judgement
• Know whether to evacuate and your building or keep people inside
• Have a plan that takes the local area into consideration and avoid congregating in one spot
• Be alert of your surroundings
• The current advice from the MET Counter Terrorism office is to evacuate in multiple directions, called the Starburst effect
• Use mobile phones to communicate with staff, if the network is having problems or has gone down, use payphones and landlines
• Remember the BID’s Safetynet Radios runs on a different system and will still work if the mobile phone networks go down
• Encourage staff to get away from the scene and away from the noise
Please use the links below and make sure you have up to date plans in place to protect your businesses and staff.
Protecting Against Terrorism – CPNI or for the government’s advice, here.
To contact the Anti-Terrorist Hotline phone 0800 789 321. Click here for more Useful Security Contacts
Click here to read the statement from Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe