Statement by Dr. Pierre Duplessis
Secretary General of The Canadian Red Cross Society
On the London Bombings and Emergency Preparedness
July 12, 2005
“All Canadians were shocked and saddened by the loss of innocent lives last Thursday as a result of the bombings in the London transit system. On the morning of the bombings, I conveyed my sympathies to the Secretary General of the British Red Cross, Sir Nicholas Young and offered the assistance of the Canadian Red Cross with any tracing requests related to the missing.
The London bombings have focussed attention on how well Canada might respond to a terrorist attack. As Secretary General of the Canadian Red Cross, I believe that all Canadians must take seriously the threat of a terrorist incident in this country. We must ensure that we are well-equipped and well-prepared psychologically and physically for such an eventuality. Complacency is the enemy of preparedness.
We, at the Canadian Red Cross, have many years of experience dealing with disaster response. And, more recently, we and other national societies within the International Red Cross/Red Crescent movement have watched and learned as our colleagues at the American, Spanish and British Red Cross responded to terrorist incidents in their countries with professionalism, calm and compassion. In fact, we assisted the American Red Cross in responding to 9-11 and have implemented programs geared toward responding to both human-made and natural disasters. No doubt there will be further lessons learned from the tragic events in London.
Part of being able to cope with the psychological and physical impact of a terror attack is to ensure that trained volunteers are in place to assist public authorities. As a volunteer relief society auxiliary to the public authorities, this is a responsibility the Red Cross takes very seriously. Whether it is providing personnel skilled in first aid, logistical assistance for emergency food and shelter or tracing services for the missing, we at the Canadian Red Cross stand ready to expand our current agreements and partnerships with governments at all levels to provide protection and assistance to our citizens. Another critical area of Red Cross involvement that is particularly germane when dealing with terrorist incidents is our mandate to promote humanitarian values, especially tolerance, and international humanitarian law.
I would also like to take this opportunity to encourage Canadians to become better informed about the activities of the Red Cross and in particular programs such as “Together We Prepare”, “Facing Fear” and “Expect the Unexpected.” For further information, please visit our website. Canadians may also wish to consider becoming involved as a volunteer to support our disaster response and emergency preparedness activities. Ultimately, the safety and security of our community rests with all of us as caring, informed and involved citizens.”
