Trained response

While the events of 11th September, 2001 were more tragic by at least an order of magnitude, it was interesting seeing the comparison between how the NYC emergency services and US leaders handled that situation as compared to today's incidents in London.

Not surprisingly NY was ill-prepared and as a result the initial response - at least to someone who was on the other side of the planet watching it unfold on TV - was chaotic in the extreme. Information was sporadic and speculative and to make matters worse the President was nowehere to be found.

Four years on and London showed what four years of preparation and training has achieved. The emergency services reacted efficiently, the politicans swiftly reassured the public and the Police Chief almost sounded bored, as though this was an every day occurance and had become a mantra: stay where you are, don't call the emergency services unless it is life-threatening, let us enact the plan that we've been preparing for the last four years.

The other difference is that unlike 2001 nobody in our block is cheering.