Survivor Hits Out At Emergency Services Over July 7 Response

[IvaNighSpare]

what do you think of this?

For me, it stinks. The emergency services deserve our praise, not our criticism. I have no more words.
Over to you....

I wouldn't criticise anyone who found themselves in that horrific situation, frightened, alone and trying in vain to provide help and support to horribly injured & dying people. The rising panic of wondering 'why aren't the emergency services here?' must have made every second stretch into infinity. The part about the fire-crew hanging back a little in case there were follow-up devices rings true... but it must have seemed unbelieveably callous to the survivor, desperate for them to help the people he'd just left behind.

The man should absolutely have his say and describe things from his perspective. The emergency services will get their opportunity in due course.

In that situation, the emergency services have to follow a protocol and treat those who can be saved before those who can't. However, anyone who had experienced the bombing and seen the people dying might reasonably think otherwise.
I narrowly missed getting that train on 7th July 2005 and walked across London in its confusion that morning so feel very much "but for the grace of God/chance"

It is really important in these situation for the emergency services to hold back.

Growing up in NI I remember the IRA used to specialise in having a second device timed for the arrival of the emergency services. If they went in too soon even more people could have been dead and injured and no use to the first set of victims.

I feel sorry for this person, naturally, but he has no idea how these things work and I think it is wrong to give his perspective any more credence than the experts.

Caoimhe - my thoughts exactly. protocol is for worst case scenario, a moment's hesitation may well have saved more lives in the long run.
I bet the terrorists love this, five years on and their horrendous actions have got us fighting amongst ourselves and blaming one another.

'Fighting among ourselves'?... rubbish. I think it's entirely right & proper that traumatised survivors should have their say and describe what happened to them from their perspective. The Emergency Services are not so perfect or thin-skinned that they can't take an honest observation and use it constructively. Maybe as a result of this, they can make some subtle changes to their practices?

The terrorists want a world so tightly controlled that (amongst other things) people are too frightened to speak out. In our free society... we allow people to speak.

The phrase "damned if you do, damned if you don't" springs to mind.

This man has a point but I can understand why the emergency services hung back.

Did anyone watch the movie World Trade Center, based on 9/11? It was based on the true story of two firefighters who were there that day. Hundreds of firefighters, cops and paramedics lost their lives that day by going into those towers right before they collapsed to rescue people. I'm guessing situations like this is why we have this protocol.