24 Jul 17. Clarion acquired by Blackstone. Defence and security events company Clarion has been acquired by private equity firm Blackstone, it was announced on 24 July. The transaction saw Blackstone acquire the company for an undisclosed amount from private equity firm Providence Equity Partners. Providence has the option to reinvest a portion of the proceeds from the sale into Clarion. Clarion organises a number of major defence trade shows, include DSEI and the Security and Counter-terror Expo. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
24 Jul 17. DSEI demonstrates the pioneering citizenAID app for use by the public during terrorist attacks to stay safe and save lives. A reported five terrorist plots have been thwarted in the wake of the tragic London and Manchester attacks. A new app has been designed to provide reliable public safety and life-saving interventions for public use in future incidents. A new mobile phone app has been developed by a team of military and civilian clinicians that helps the public to stay safe and perform simple emergency procedures, even without equipment, during a terrorist or other deliberate attack. At a time of heightened threat, typified by random and violent acts against civilians, the citizenAID app provides a vital guide for keeping victims alive until help is available from the emergency services. The app also has the potential to be used in response to other hostile threats, such as knife crime and the recent spate of acid attacks.
citizenAID, which hit the global number one spot on the Apple App Store and Google Play when it was released earlier this year, will be demonstrated at the upcoming Defence and Security Equipment International exhibition (DSEI). The app was awarded the West Midlands Area Health Scientific Network Innovation Award in 2017.
Visitors to the DSEI medical demonstration area will be guided through a scenario following an example attack. The app combines military expertise with knowledge and practice from NHS trauma specialists to provide the simple medical instructions for the general public. The citizenAID team collaborated with the National Counter Terrorism Security Office and the emergency services to ensure that the advice relayed is consistent with existing operating procedures.
With the app already available in the United States, DSEI will provide an important platform to showcase citizenAID to the international defence and security audience. DSEI expects to welcome 34,000 visitors from over 100 countries.
Working with Birmingham City Council, Police Schools Liaison and regional teachers in the West Midlands, citizenAID has developed a series of age appropriate cartoon-based materials for both primary and secondary school children. These illustrate the “Run, Hide, Tell, Treat” principles in a way that can familiarize, but not frighten, pupils with how to react while waiting for the emergency services.
Brigadier Tim Hodgetts, Medical Director at DMS, who is leading the development of citizenAID explained: “The number of deliberate attacks against civilians across mainland Europe in the last two years, and the prediction of similar attacks in the UK, led us to address a gap in public resilience to look after yourself and those around you in the immediate aftermath. The tragic events in London and Manchester demonstrated the public’s will to help each other and a good deal of improvisation to provide treatment. Our aim is for citizenAID to reduce public anxiety and improve performance in future scenarios through preparation and a tested clinical logic, thereby saving people’s lives”.
Duncan Reid, DSEI Event Director, added: “High profile events are now seen to be targets, as recent incidents have tragically demonstrated, and in this respect the citizenAID app is an especially useful tool for event organisers. We would encourage everyone to download this potentially life-saving app”.
DSEI takes place Tuesday 12 September to Friday 15 September at ExCeL London. CitizenAID