After agonising moments after a car ploughed into pedestrians at the Liverpool trophy parade Liverpool City Region’s strategic director of communications takes us through their response to a major incident.
It was just after 6pm on Monday 26 May and thousands of football fans who had lined the streets of Liverpool were thinking about heading home, catching a pint, or grabbing a bite to eat.
Those of us who had spent the day in the Transport Co-ordination Centre, the multi-agency combined control room or hunched over our laptops monitoring socials and producing content, were gearing up for a busy time on the transport network.
The bus carrying the red heroes had just about completed the full 10-mile route and the rain hadn’t dampened spirits. However, in the blink of an eye everything turned up a notch – police vehicles and ambulances were being dispatched, a major incident was declared, and the city centre was gripped by panic and fear.
Crisis comms
For those of us trained to deal with major incidents, or crisis comms, it was the moment to turn the rehearsals into reality. Phone call cascades were commenced, emergency social posts were produced and all scheduled content was stood down. Liverpool’s City Region’s Mayor Steve Rotheram – a self-declared red – had been watching the day’s events unfold. It was clear that he would soon be required to issue reassurance and details of the incident to the world’s press.
As transport colleagues launched their operation of ensuring that more than 150,000 people got home safely on the Merseyrail network and more than 165,000 people travelled through Lime Street station, with many more walking, cycling, travelling by bus, or driving home, we were picking up the phone and responding to press queries.
Interviews
Multiple interview requests were coming in thick and fast and a news conference was required. I was working on the first statement from the Mayor to be issued to the press and we were mindful of needing to move location to join the blue lights and Liverpool City Council’s leader in reassuring the public.
An emergency briefing was organised, the journalists took their seats and the principals made their way to the conference room. However, there was a notable absence, as a Combined Authority we are not officially classed as a category one responder and there wasn’t a seat at the table for the region’s Mayor.
In 2004, the Civil Contingencies Act was established, it defined the framework for the roles and responsibilities for local authorities and other organisations in emergency preparedness and response – at that time Combined Authorities did not exist. They were established after the legislation in 2014.
So, we sat on the sidelines and after the news conference was over, the Mayor was thronged with press wanting information. It was an interesting moment when the legislation and the real world were in conflict.
Over the next few days, the Mayor gave more than 20 regional, national and international media interviews in his role as civic leader. Phone calls were received from both the Prime Minister and Home Secretary, and we were delighted to welcome both to our city region as they met with senior police officers and local political leaders. Following the news that the injured were all recovering well, the Mayor issued a message of thanks on behalf of our region, paying tribute to those who had showed the ‘very best’ of our communities.
Speaking with one voice
Despite the noise on social media and the clamour from the traditional media, the strength of local partnerships and collaboration ensured that the Liverpool City Region leaders spoke with one voice and were able to quickly defuse misinformation and disinformation.
Here is City Mayor talking on Sky News.
And also with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. Here on the @metromayorsteve Instagram channel.
Another good reminder that nurturing those relationships in the good times pays off during the bad times.
Camilla Mankabady, director of strategic communications and corporate affairs, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.