Around the globe - a gallery of international experience
What We've Done - some examples.
National Inter-agency Liaison Officer (NILO) Programme
Delivered at the Fire Service College and other UK venues
Course Designers Peter Simpson
Tony Dixon
Keynote Speaker Stephen Hawker
Staff & Speaker Roger Young
Duration 9 days residential
NILO Twitter
Peter discusses the development of the UK NILO
programme at the US Center for Homeland Defense
This unique multi-agency training course was designed and delivered by Peter and Tony. It was created specifically to bridge the interoperability gap across the UK emergency services in extreme or emerging threat environments.
Designed for counter terrorism and other critical incidents, it has become the nationally agreed multi-agency advisory role across the UK emergency services. As Course Directors, Peter & Tony ran 20 courses over 4yrs training over 500 senior staff.
The course was explicitly constructed to expose students to 25 of the UK's leading experts in terrorism. Delegates learned to understand the Organisational roles and responsibilities and capacities and capabilities of their partner agencies to respond. They developed a common understanding of the planning and collective response to various terrorist and other malicious attacks. The two week residential course forged relationships between organisations and gave delegates a unique insight into the culture and challenges of their multi-agency partners. The outcome - changing behaviours across the UK emergency services.
Delegte feedback:
'An excellent course that was all consuming; fast paced and with a programme that was packed to capacity'
'The most demanding and challenging course I have been on in 25 years. Excellent'
'This is the best course I have ever been on. Every subject was so interesting and all the speakers were excellent in their knowledge of their topics.'
'The staff and external lecturers are some of the best you can ever expect to get and the knowledge they bring is exceptional'.
'I cannot recall a course where I have learnt more over such a short period of time'
(National Inter-agency Liaison Officer Course delegate feedback.)
Crisis Management & Counter Terrorism Training
National Crisis Management Centre Training (2017-18)
Cranfield University/FCO
Bali & Jakarta, Indonesia (20 courses)
Cairo, Egypt (20 courses)
Course Designer Roger Young/Peter Simpson
Keynote Speaker Stephen Hawker
Staff & Speakers Peter Simpson
Tony Dixon
Duration 5 & 10 days
Appointed by Cranfield University, Roger managed a multi-national crisis management and counter terrorist training programme, delivering on behalf of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. This complex programme ran over a number of years in The Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kenya and Egypt. The countries benefitted from the programme created as part of the UK’s ‘CONTEST’ strategy. Peter and Tony worked extensively with Roger on both the Indonesian and Egyptian programmes.
Roger's political and cultural awareness when negotiating, designing and delivering courses have been recognised in each country. Programmes typically lasted for approximatly three years and were made up of a wide range of training and personal development initiatives. The programmes were individually crafted following an extensive training needs analysis. Designed as a suite of courses for students to develop organisational and personal skills, many countries utilised it as a progression programme - leading to long-term relationships. Organisations were able to choose individual or multiple options to suit delegate needs. These included:
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National Crisis Management Centre Training & Development
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Managing risk
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Crisis & disaster management
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Strategic and operational command
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Reducing business sector vulnerabilities: retail, transport, tourism, sporting venues.
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Media Management
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Counter terrorism/special operations incl:
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Marauding terrorist firearms attack
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CBRN awareness
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Mass casualty/mass fatality
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Protecting critical national infrastructure
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Train the trainer
In addition, consultancy services were provided to support the planning for significant national events and the development of national strategy, such as the South East Asia Games, the Conference of the Association of South East Asia Nations (ASEAN) and the development of the Malaysian national CBRN Strategy.
Student feedback:
'I do not know where we would have been if we had not received this training – it was the best’
An excellent programme that was delivered by top-rate staff. Thank you’
'The programme is just perfect. Roger is inspiring’
'This must be the best course ever’
‘Excellent. The presenters were exemplary’
Control Room Staff Critical Links Course
Avon Fire & Rescue Service
Bath, Avon (4 courses)
Course Designers Peter Simpson
Tony Dixon
Keynote Speaker Stephen Hawker
Staff & Speaker Roger Young
Duration 2 days
Avon F&RS twitter
Avon Fire & Rescue Service, working in partnership with Critical-Link Ltd developed a unique training course for control room staff.
The course provided Avon FRS control room staff with a range of developmental opportunities. These were designed to enhance their knowledge and understanding of their partner agencies. The key element was to recognise the context and interdependence of information that they and their partner agencies require of one another.
The learning environment created open, two-way communications between delegates and multi-agency partners. This enabled them to negotiate an agenda for new ways of working and organisational change. Inputs by leading subject matter experts, syndicate work, plenary sessions and tabletops exercises forged new pathways for support. Control Commanders, control room staff and partner agencies changed the way they respond to significant events and critical incidents.
ACO Rob Davis said of the course:
"Through the work of Critical-Link Ltd, we have seen a positive change in organisational behaviours between us and our emergency service partners".
Delegate feedback:
'Thought provoking - the course opened my eyes to new ways of thinking. The trainers were skilled and passionate about the exchange of information.' I believe the balance of the course was perfect for my role.'
'The content was relevant, interesting and delivered in an informed, relaxed professional manner. The interaction was good and encouragement to use and expand on our own knowledge was really helpful.'
'This is by far the best course I have done in 18 years in the Fire Service – big thank you to all the trainers.
'It provided greater awareness of other organisations. I'll be testing our critical links regularly and building rapport with our other agencies i.e. ambulance and police'.
'The course opened my eyes to new ways of thinking. It demonstrated that by preparing for the unexpected it raises questions that can be addressed rather than as a reaction later.'
(Control Room Critical Links Course delegate feedback)
Senior Managers Crisis Management Seminar
Bristol Airport
Bristol
Course Designers Peter Simpson
Tony Dixon
Stephen Hawker
Roger Young
Duration 1 day
CEO Robert Sinclair.
Critical-Link in association with Bristol Airport (BRS) recently ran a very successful information-led crisis management exercise for senior managers.
CEO Robert Sinclair said of the exercise and its findings:
“Critical-Link Ltd brought their substantial and varied experience to bear, delivering a hard but rewarding day that was specifically tailored to our needs. They certainly brought out the key issues and risks that we needed to address, and in a sympathetic way”.
Chief Fire Officer Gary O’Neil said:
“The detailed research, insightful injects and diverse skills of the Critical-Link team really hit-the-spot. The delivery and feedback was well-paced, challenging and constructive. We’ve learned a lot about the risks we face. The exercise spanned a full working day with 26 delegates representing all aspects of airport management and operations, including CEO Robert Sinclair".
The aims and objectives of the exercise were to test crisis management procedures, business continuity management & operations; exercise both the management and operational tiers collectively; and to examine decision-making and consent between business continuity & operations.
The exercise was designed as ‘inject-based’ and information led. In support of this, a comprehensive backstory was authored providing the context to fictional events affecting the airport, its environs and operations. Each of 4 injects tested specific elements of the agreed aims and objectives and contained a series of probing questions sets based on the backstory, for the syndicates to apply BRS responses to.
The theme for injects included:
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Information assessment, risk analysis and risk communication.
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IT cyber security and communications.
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Multi-layered information feeds, operational decision-making and consent. Identifying critical links (relationships).
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Business continuity forecasting and operational management.
Facilitated sessions followed each inject and at the close of the exercise a plenary session highlighted collective learning and action points raised during the day.
"Thanks to Critical-Link for an excellent day."
Clients
