Study launched on country’s coping capacity

The Police University College has launched a research project to examine the overall preparedness to deal with any terrorist attack on the critical infrastructure, besides exploring ways to improve it, said an official press release.

The more specific aims of the study are to explore how the authorities and service providers could prepare themselves for such an attack and how the resilience of the overall system comprising various key operators might be improved.

“In terms of the safety, predictability and smooth running of daily life, modern societies are almost entirely dependent on basic infrastructure, such as water, electricity and data communications systems,” remarked Ossi Heino, a postdoctoral researcher at the Police University College.

Heino also underlined that “Critical infrastructure service providers, the police, rescue services and other key operators must be prepared to efficiently minimize damage and recover normal operation after a major incident due to a terrorist attack.”

The project undertaken in collaboration with the Centre of Excellence in Terrorism, Resilience, Intelligence and Organised Crime Research (CENTRIC) at Sheffield Hallam University of the UK is funded by the Academy of Finland. It will run until August 2021.