Interagency Coordination: A Case Study of the 2005 London Train Bombings

The response of London’s emergency serv ces and transportat on system to the bomb ngs s cons dered the c ty’s most comprehens ve and complex response ever to a terror st attack. Respond ng agenc es faced challenges dur ng and mmed ately after the attacks, but major problems n emergency coord nat on were m n m zed because London off c als had establ shed relat onsh ps w th one another and had pract ced agreed-upon procedures. Consequently, everyone knew the r roles and respons b l t es; a command and control system was up and runn ng qu ckly; and mutual a d agreements — planned out n advance — were successfully n t ated and appl ed.