PW_3_2019

Professional Developmentv

Avoiding Disaster Tom Chisholm , Chair of Birmingham and West Midlands Branch Tom Chisholm tells us about the Disaster and Crisis Management Seminar held at Gimborn Castle.

T his was my fifth seminar at Gimborn . I always enjoy visiting the sleepy hamlet of Gimborn. The Duke, who owns the castle, still lives on the premises and can often be seen around the grounds. This seminar was particularly relevant to my role as a Senior Identification Manager (SIM) for Disaster Victim Identification (DVI), so I was keen to learn from the experiences of international colleagues. I hoped to identify opportunities to improve our own response to mass fatality incidents. The seminar covered a broad spectrum of issues, ranging from the initial Police response to mass fatalities, DVI and serious RTC management. As well as the practicalities, the speakers also covered the human elements of mass disasters, with a focus on communication and human behaviour in crisis. The Seminar was chaired by Yvonne Taylor, a DVI officer from North Yorkshire, and Michael Walter, a senior manager from Stuttgart Police. The seminar was attended by colleagues from UK, Germany, Denmark, South Africa, Macedonia and Pakistan. Yvonne Taylor opened the seminar, with an overview of the DVI process, explaining when and where the process can be used and the benefits of applying a DVI approach to body recovery. Yvonne provided some examples of her own experiences in DVI and was very knowledgeable on the subject. On Tuesday morning it was the turn of Yvonne’s husband, Dave Taylor, a Senior Forensic Collision Investigator from North Yorkshire. Dave provided an input on the management of fatal traffic collisions and forensic considerations. He used several interesting case studies, explaining how it is possible to reconstruct and establish the cause of fatal collisions, even after fire damage has reduced forensic opportunities. Marc Kaufold, an Information Specialist from the University of Seigen, spoke about the impact of social media in mass disasters. Marc has conducted extensive research into using social media, and gave insight into the value of developing a social media strategy in the early stages of a disaster. On Wednesday, the group visited Cologne Police Headquarters, where we received input from Chief Inspector Ute Dommermuth, who spoke about extreme events, including the Gladbeck hostage crisis in 1988 and the 2015/16 New Year’s Eve mass sexual assaults. Both subjects were alarming and harrowing for their own reasons, and provided some real food for thought on how we would react in the UK to similar situations.

Ute was followed by Kyle Hardcastle, a Detective from the Metropolitan Police. Kyle and his team are leading the way in virtual reality training for Police, and he demonstrated the advantages of creating virtual reality worlds to allow training in a safe environment. On Thursday, we had a very moving talk from Commissioner Jean-Paul Devos, the officer in charge during the 2016 suicide bombings at Brussels Airport. Jean Paul described how he was drinking coffee in his office when the first blast hit, and how he ran towards the terminal as the second blast hit. He described the carnage as he and his team tried to save injured commuters, amongst collapsing ceilings and fire. He described the quick actions of a colleague who saw there was a third (as yet) unexploded bomb in the terminal, saving many more lives. Sadly, one of Jean Paul’s officers was seriously injured during the attack, as he bravely ran towards the first blast and into the path of the second. It was clear that the incident had a profound effect on everyone involved, and Jean Paul spoke of his pride in his team and the impact the incident had for many years after. Dr Katja Schulze, from the Freie University of Berlin, gave an interesting talk on human behaviour during mass crisis and disasters, and gave several examples where overcrowding at major events led to panic and fatalities. Michael Walter took the subject of human behaviour and safety at events further, by providing an input on planning considerations and safety at major events, rounding off the week nicely. I found the seminar both informative and thought provoking. I returned to my day job with several new ideas and many more friends from across the world. I would thoroughly recommend the IPA to any serving or retired Police Officer and Police Staff. The seminars at Gimborn are excellent and the facilities are world class.

At Koln HQ

POLICE WORLD Vol 64 No.3, 2019

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