3 Responding to major consular crises
16. In addition to its regular consular services
operation, the Department also responds to mass-casualty events
abroad which result in potential British casualties or injured
British nationals. The Department has dealt with a number of high
profile crises since 2001, which have varied in nature and geographical
coverage (Figure 3).Figure
3: The FCO has handled several major overseas crises since 2001
| Event
| Date
| Countries afflicted
|
| New York Attacks
| September 2001
| America
|
| Bali Bombings
| October 2002
| Indonesia
|
| Indian Ocean Tsunami
| December 2004
| Thirteen countries including Indonesia, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand
|
| Doha bombings
| March 2005
| Qatar
|
| Kusadasi bombing
| July 2005
| Turkey
|
| Bombing in Sharm-el-Sheikh
| July 2005
| Egypt
|
| Hurricane Katrina
| August 2005
| Bahamas, Cuba, United States
|
| Hurricane Rita
| September 2005
| Bahamas, Cuba, Mexico and the United States
|
| Hurricane Wilma
| October 2005
| Included Mexico, Cuba and the East coast of the United States
|
| South Asia earthquake
| October 2005
| Pakistan
|
| Bali bombing
| October 2005
| Indonesia
|
Source: Foreign and Commonwealth Office
17. In order to respond effectively to a crisis situation,
all Posts are required to prepare emergency plans. New guidelines
were sent out by the central Crisis Management Team in 2004 asking
Posts to revise their emergency plans, although it was January
2006 before all Posts submitted an updated version. Plans should
be tested at least annually, but the Department does not record
information about which Posts have tested their plan, and only
one third of the Posts consulted in a National Audit Office survey
had done so. The Department acknowledged that there had been deficiencies
in its approach to testing emergency plans. Posts that had responded
to the Indian Ocean Tsunami in December 2004 made little use of
their emergency plans, which were not fit for the purpose. To
help address this problem the Department is recruiting a full
time member of staff to ensure that all Posts have an emergency
plan, and that these are monitored, tested and updated. The Department
has also improved training for consular duties; 3,500 staff have
been trained at regional centres in their first year of operation,
and there is compulsory training on crisis management for all
heads of mission before they take up overseas postings.[21]
18. The Indian Ocean Tsunami, which struck the coasts
of thirteen countries, presented the Department with an exceptional
consular challenge. The emergency call handling system failed
to cope with the unprecedented demand placed upon it, and some
operators were insufficiently trained resulting in inadequate
information being collected. Since the tsunami, the Department
has put in place Service Level Agreements with the police which
will provide access to police call handlers around the country
in the event of a crisis. It is also investigating call centre
arrangements with private sector companies. [22]
19. The Department accepted that there were delays
in reaching some of the areas affected by the Tsunami, such as
Khao Lak, and consequently some people did not get the treatment
and help that they needed. Regional Rapid Deployment Teams are
now being set up to enable a faster response to future crises.
One based in Hong Kong was successfully deployed following the
Bali bombing in October 2005, and was in Thailand on the anniversary
of the Tsunami.[23]
21 C&AG's Report, para 4.10, 4.12; Qq 14, 64-65,
70 Back
22
Qq 6-7 Back
23
Qq 8-9, 64 Back
|
