No let up in terror threat in 2016

2016 has barely begun, yet we have already seen a renewal of the terrorist threat to the UK, as well as many other places around the globe. A video just released by ISIS, featuring a jihadist with a London accent, shows the execution of five ‘British spies’ and threatens revenge on the UK for RAF air strikes in Syria.

This latest ISIS propaganda video comes in the wake of a series of security alerts around Europe aimed at New Year festivities, with Munich railway station being closed down for two days and the celebrations in Brussels being cancelled altogether.

Some experts are suggesting that this upsurge in terror threats is the direct result of Islamic State coming under significant pressure in Syria and Iraq, with territory being lost to the overwhelming military coalition now attacking ISIS forces. Whether this is true or not, there seems no possibility of let up in the terror threat in 2016.

That is why security authorities across Europe are continuing to make preparations to deal with a repeat of a Paris style attack in major cities. The UK is no exception, and here the National Counter Terrorism Security Office have just taken the unusual step of releasing a video advising citizens what to do in the event of an armed terrorist attack in a public place.

The four minute video called ‘Run, Hide, Tell’, advises what to do in the event that you are caught up in a firearms and weapons attack, and advises that you should first of all run if you can, if not then hide and tell someone what is happening to you.

Since Paris, almost every customer I meet wants to know how they can be assured of contacting their staff in the event of a similar emergency, to find out where they are and to check whether they are OK or in need of help. That is why here at Crises Control we have been working on the emergency response features of our mobile application.

One such feature allows any building or venue to respond immediately to an armed attack by alerting everyone on the premises to the intrusion and implementing lockdown or evacuation plans. The ‘Emergency Alert’ feature allows anyone who becomes aware of an intrusion into the building to raise the alarm to the building security team. All they need to do is to click on the Crises Control application and hit the emergency message button.

We have also been developing a new feature that allows each of your employees to respond directly to a group message that has been sent out by the security team to confirm that they are safe, or alternatively that they need assistance. These are worrying times, but everyone will feel more secure if they know that you have taken what precautions you can to enhance their safety.

Rickie Sehgal