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Episode Description: Beyond Run Hide Tell – Understanding the Guide Shelter Report (GSR)
In this episode, we dive into the Guide Shelter Report (GSR), a crucial set of dynamic response principles designed to help businesses and organisations effectively respond to a terrorist attack. Developed by the National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO) in consultation with businesses of all sizes, GSR represents a vital evolution in protective security and organisational preparedness.
While the well-known Run Hide Tell (RHT) protocol remains essential life-saving advice for the general public, it was never intended to serve as a primary incident response plan for businesses. Simply telling staff to run or hide places the burden of survival entirely on individuals, failing to support a structured response that meets an organisation's legal and duty of care responsibilities.
Throughout the episode, we break down the three core components of GSR:
Guide: Directing the public, visitors, and personnel away from danger through evacuation, invacuation to a safe internal area, or initiating a lockdown.
Shelter: Keeping people safe by securing them inside a locked building, keeping them away from external walls and windows, or moving them to a pre-selected external location.
Report: Safely contacting the emergency services (999) using the ETHANE framework, only once the immediate danger has passed.
Here it is: https://www.protectuk.police.uk/gsr
We discuss how these principles are designed to be dynamic, meaning they do not have to be executed in a strict sequence. This flexibility allows staff to adapt to fast-moving and complex threat scenarios, such as Marauding Terrorist Attacks (MTA), Vehicle as a Weapon (VAW) incidents, or Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).
However, simply knowing the acronym isn't enough. We also explore the practical steps businesses operating within Venues and Public Spaces (VaPS)—which range from local cafes and retail stores to massive sports stadiums and transport hubs—must take to actually implement these principles. We cover how to embed GSR into your organisation's everyday security culture by conducting risk assessments, developing concrete incident management procedures, and ensuring all staff, including temporary workers and volunteers, are thoroughly trained. Finally, we emphasise the critical importance of testing and exercising these plans so that your staff can act with confidence when it matters most.
Tune in to learn how your organisation can move beyond individual survival tactics to build a comprehensive, coordinated response plan capable of protecting people and saving lives
