http://news.yahoo.com/s/ft/20060605/bs_ft/fto060520060646391671
July 7 report criticises 'antiquated' communications By FT reportersMon Jun 5, 6:25 AM ET The response to the July 7 bombings in London was hampered by "inadequate" or "non-existent" communications systems and over- reliance on mobile phone networks, a new report stated on Monday. The lack of a functioning underground communication network - "a significant problem for London", according to Met chief Sir Ian Blair - was highlighted 18 years ago in the official inquiry into the Kings Cross disaster. "There can be no excuse for failing now to deliver facilities to enable underground radio communications by the end of 2007, which was the target date given to us by the emergency and transport services in November 2005," the report said. The 7 July Review, published by the London Assembly, looks at the capital's response to the attacks, which killed 52 and injured 700 people last summer and is the fruit of six months of public hearings with survivors of the attacks and members of the emergency and health services, Transport for London and local authorities. Among the 52 recommendations for change are better communications between tube drivers and passengers and drivers and controllers. The tabular content relating to this article is not available to view. Apologies in advance for the inconvenience caused. The report says: "Perhaps a more significant and worrying weakness is the lack of reliable communications between train drivers and line controllers. London Underground's radio systems are antiquated and did not work, for various reasons, on any of the three affected trains on 7 July. "Direct communication from the affected trains to either the emergency services or the Transport for London Network Control Centre could have led to a much more rapid assessment of what had happened and where." Other recommendations include better safety notices within trains, first aid kits on trains and buses and torches in drivers' cabs in the event that lighting fails. The report also criticises the support offered to individuals in the wake of the attacks: It said: "There is an overarching, fundamental lesson to be learnt from the response to the 7 July attacks, which underpins most of our findings and recommendations. The response on 7 July demonstrated that there is a lack of consideration of the individuals caught up in major or catastrophic incidents. "Procedures tend to focus too much on incidents, rather than on individual and on processes rather than people. Emergency plans tend to cater for the needs of the emergency and other responding services, rather than explicitly addressing the needs and priorities of the people involved." A follow-up review will be published in November 2006. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ TELECOM-CITIES Current searchable archives (Feb. 1, 2006 to present) at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ Old searchble archives at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
