Our Commitment to Civil & Military Emergencies

One example of our commitment to the civil authorities is with the City of London Police.

The FANY has been involved in the running of the Casualty Bureau at Bishopsgate Police station since 1973. In that capacity, members have assisted in the aftermath of multiple rail, river and natural disasters, IRA bombings, the Millennium stand-by, the Twin Towers attack, the Tsunami aftermath, the 7/7 London bombings and recently the G20 Summit. For the military, members have additionally assisted in Op Granby, Op Telic, and during the Fire-fighter’s strike.

Every Active member of the Corps is trained by the City of London Police to document the information coming into the Casualty Bureau from members of the public during a major emergency. Members take calls directly from the public and input the information directly into the main Police computer system. Our members are also trained to National Call handling standards and in the relevant skills to work in an emergency role. Each individual has to be deemed competent to work at the Bureau by a member of the Police training team. The members on the Active list are on call 24/7.

A new role of Incident Support Officer [ISO] has recently been introduced by the City of London Police in conjunction with FANY. ISOs receive in-depth training and operate at the sharp end of an incident. The training involves mock scenarios of major incidents and role-play in order to gain further practice and information on sensitively handling members of the public, who have just experienced a major trauma. The ISOs will work at Survivor Reception Centres, Family and Friends Reception Centres, at the scene of the incident or at a Reception Centre designated at one of the London hospitals, dealing with persons who have been caught up in the incident. The ISOs will gather information from the survivors/evacuees who are also considered, at times, as vital witnesses. The ISOs will also be on the look out for any delayed signs of trauma or signs of evidence from the incident that may still be attached to the survivor's body or clothing. They practise the diplomacy and skill to deal with difficult situations and learn the importance of accuracy and efficiency to input vital data.