Peter Power (crisis management specialist)

Peter Power is a British crisis management specialist and has advised many organisations in his area of speciality.

Personal history

Peter Power was born in the UK in 1951. He served in the 10 Battalion Parachute Regiment Territorial Army 1969 - 1971 before joining the Metropolitan Police in 1971. His service in that force included the Special Patrol Group and attachments to the Metropolitan Police Anti-Terrorist Branch and other front line units. In 1990 he transferred on promotion to Dorset. He retired from Dorset in 1993. In 1995 Power set up his own company in central London, Visor Consultants.

Achievements

He received several commendations^{[citation needed]} for leadership etc.. and in 1985 became the primary author of the Gold Silver Bronze command structure and also designed several mnemonics for dealing with terrorist bombs during the Provisional Irish Republican Army campaign^{[citation needed]}. He is quoted in the UK government guide, "A Guide to GIS Applications in Integrated Emergency Management" and he is the author of many other advice guidebooks including the original UK government (Department of Trade and Industry) booklet "Business Continuity Management - Preventing Chaos in a Crisis". On 23 November 1984 Power was trapped with others on the London Underground during a serious Oxford Circus fire that started at that station and spread along the Victoria Line. He helped to prevent panic amongst other passengers and subsequently led many people to safety.

Current roles

Power is a Special Advisor to a number of key organisations including the Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness and the Business Continuity Institute London Forum. He is in addition, a Special Advisor to the editorial board of Continuity Professional Magazine in the USA and is listed in the UK Register of Expert Witnesses. He is a Fellow of numerous industry associations and member of the Guild of Freemen of the City of London.

7 July 2005

Power spoke on ITV and BBC TV news regarding a crisis management simulation exercise his company allegedly ran on this day, working in the premises of a private company in the City of London, using a scenario very similar to the 7 July 2005 London bombings. Power said this was a coincidence and was based on the previous terrorist incidents in London, including 18 bombs already detonated on the London Underground since 1885 (see Attacks on the London Underground). An investigation by the BBC series The Conspiracy Files identified the client Power's company worked for that day delivering a simulation exercise. It examined allegations about his company and others, involved in an alleged UK government "cover up" similar to 9/11 conspiracy theories. Power has always denied this and the programme found no evidence to support such allegations.

External links

• About Peter Power
• BBC - Organising forward command. Kings Cross 18 November 1987
• BBC - Preparing for a crisis
• Risk and Continuity: Convergence is in the Air...
• BBC - Discussing the impact of terrorism on London
• BBC - Brixton Riots
• Crisis Management teams ‘who needs them?’ Experts.com
• Crisis. What crisis? The Lawyer.com