London Fire Brigade conducts NATO terrorism response training

The course, which focused on how global Emergency Services operations respond to terrorist incidents, was attended by five NATO partner nations, with officers from Morocco, Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Jordan and Egypt present. This was the second iteration of the training in the wake of the successful sessions held back in 2024.

The training is designed to afford officers the skills needed to improve inter-agency planning, operational preparedness and the response to a range of episodes including major incidents, acts of terrorism, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) incidents and serious public disorder.  

The skills and knowledge obtained by the officers who attend can also be used when responding to a variety of standard emergencies in a multi-agency environment. The training provides valuable insights designed to strengthen and improve civil emergency plans, complementing national training systems and further developing enhanced co-operation between first responders.

Officers from law enforcement, the Emergency Services and military backgrounds attended the course. Attendees heard from the Brigade’s officers, as well as national subject matter experts, about how the Emergency Services and public bodies in the UK co-ordinate their response to emergency situations. This included sharing the UK’s Joint Emergency Service Interoperability Principles and details of Ten Second Triage.

There was also an opportunity for the participating officers to learn specifically about the response capabilities employed by the Emergency Services in London. This included a tour of the Metropolitan Police Service’s Special Operations Room and a demonstration of the specialist assets available to the London Fire Brigade when responding to high threat and marauding terrorist incidents, as well as viewing specialist equipment such as the Brigade’s 32-metre ladders, drones, Fire Rescue Units and fire boats.

Preparedness is key

Assistant Commissioner Patrick Goulbourne, the national co-ordinator for NILO, said: “It has been an honour for the Brigade to once again host our global partners, working in partnership with our colleagues from NATO and the US State Department. In an uncertain world, preparedness is key. By giving first responders the ability to co-ordinate an effective response to complex and challenging situations, this improves the chances of a successful response aimed at maximising safety for members of the public.”

Goulbourne added: “This training allows us to share the lessons we’ve learned over the last two decades with partners, helping to develop how their Emergency Services and civil protection work together. It also offers us the opportunity to understand the environments in which they work and learn from the challenges they may face.”

The programme is part of NATO’s wider work in the region. NATO’s Counter-Terrorism Section is also developing and conducting counter-terrorism courses for assistance-eligible NATO partner countries in the Middle East and North Africa, the Gulf and the Sahel regions thanks to the financial support provided by the United States for the NATO National Contributory Fund.  

This programme encompasses both civilian law enforcement and criminal justice agencies as well as the Armed Forces, defence and security officials with a view towards strengthening overall civil-military co-operation and information sharing on counter-terrorism efforts through an holistic, whole-of-Government approach in counter-terrorism areas of work such as CBRNE defence, battlefield evidence, countering terrorism financing, border security and responding to terrorist incidents.

Developing expertise

The NILO Network can trace its origins back to 2001 when officers from the London Fire Brigade began to look at how the UK would co-ordinate an emergency response when faced by an act of terror. For over 20 years now, NILO has continued to develop its expertise in this area, initially working to improve capabilities across the UK. Now, in partnership with NATO and the US State Department, NILO is looking at how this can be shared with partners across the world.

The partnership with NATO grew out of the Brigade’s involvement in the Counter-Terrorism Preparedness Network, which brings together the Mayors and counter-terrorism leads of major European cities. Through these meetings, it became clear that NILO’s expertise could be used to train NATO partners. As a result, the programme has been created, with additional support from the US State Department. The clear aim is to assist first responders when it comes to increasing public safety on the global stage.