Ahead of the introduction of the Protect Duty draft legislation, set to be introduced in the spring, Manchester City Council has reported that over 1,000 staff have now taken the Action Counters Terrorism course (ACT).
The course, designed to equip staff to better identify, mitigate and respond to terror attacks, was launched in 2021 by the Security Industry Authority as an e-learning course. The five modules cover the role of security operatives in counter terrorism, current terrorist attack methods, incident response planning and identifying and responding to suspicious activity.
The Protect Duty is set to require venues and local authorities to improve security and have preventative action plans against terror attacks. It is also known as ‘Martyn’s Law’, after Martyn Hett, one of the 22 victims of the Manchester Arena attack in 2017.
Manchester City Council have adopted new rules since the attack, with almost 500 venues across the city already signed up to it.
Councillor Lee-Ann Igbon, Executive Member for Vibrant Neighbourhoods said:
“The work done around Martyn’s Law has been some of the most important the Council has ever embarked on.
“The Manchester Arena Terror Attack left an indelible mark on our city, but it does not have to define our future. We never want to repeat that terrible night again which is why ACT training is so vital.
“I am so proud of the venues who have already signed up and recognise what a fantastic achievement it is to have trained more than 1,000 people. However, there is always more work to be done and I am confident in the coming months even greater numbers can be reached.”
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