Experts deal with disasters at University

Photo opportunity-Wednesday 20 September, 12 noon, University of Teesside Innovation Centre, off Stephenson Street, Middlesbrough.

The London terrorist bombings on 7 July 2005 killed 52 people. A senior Metropolitan Police officer will describe how London prepared its response to the bombings and the lessons learned, in a conference at the University of Teesside.

Superintendent Roger Gomm from the Public Order Branch, New Scotland Yard, is one of several guest speakers at the Dealing with Disasters conference, to be held for the first time at the University from Wednesday 20-Thursday 21 September. Supt Gomm will speak on the Wednesday, in his talk entitled ‘How London prepared for responses to the 7 July terrorist attacks and the lessons learned.’ The conference has been jointly organised by the University’s Centre for Forensic Investigation and the University of Northumbria’s Disaster and Development Centre.

Other subjects include:

• Disaster Management – tsunami lessons, by Detective Supt Derek Forrest, West Midlands Police.
• The role of the UK Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) Unit, by Graham Walker, National DVI Commander, Association of Chief Police Officers.
• The Balkans contingency plan – lessons learned, by Julian Carter, Senior Lecturer, University of Teesside.

The 2005 Buncefield Oil refinery fire and the 1988 Lockerbie air disaster will also be explored. Graham Thompson is the Conference’s Project Manager. Graham, 52, from Ingleby Barwick, served with Cleveland Police for 30 years. He worked as a Crime Scene Investigator and was later seconded as a Manager for Cleveland Police and Cleveland Fire Brigade’s joint arson task force.

Graham said: “The conference will look at natural and man-made disasters, both national and international. All aspects will be examined, from forensics, to media responses to the role of business. It will be valuable for the police, the fire service, the NHS, local emergency planners, coroners, academics and the business community. We’ve already received enquiries from India, Ghana and Nigeria.

“Delegates can listen and learn from first-hand specialists, describing their experiences of disasters around the world. They can then implement the speakers’ expertise should anything like that happen in the UK. We will be hosting this conference every year.”

There will be an opportunity to photograph Graham Thompson with Superintendent Roger Gomm on Wednesday 20 September at 12 noon in the University’s Innovation Centre, off Stephenson Street, Middlesbrough. For more information please call 01642 342015, or e-mail pr@tees.ac.uk

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