OPERATION TALLA


capacity, they built an industry within policing that typically would have required 22 army personnel – all achieved, says Matt, by “PCs with phenomenal grit and determination”. They worked with Public Health


England and the Defence Science Technology Laboratory (Dstl) to understand what kit was needed to protect the workforce, and 10 items were selected. With the assistance of Thames Valley Police’s procurement team, they set about tracking down PPE stocks globally. “Everything from masks, paper suits,


goggles – all of those items were in short supply. We had to get them certified and run tests. Once we were satisfied that they were good for use, we put them into our warehouse and made them available to forces,” explains Matt. Funding came from just over a dozen forces who then claimed the money back from the Treasury. There was no central money so Op TALLA was forced to go cap in hand to get the operation off the ground. The UK government infamously had its fingers burned when it ordered quantities of PPE from Turkey that turned out to be unfit for purpose. How did the team avoid similar pitfalls? Matt says it was down to


understanding all the rules and regulations: “A group of us really read up on that and liaised with experts from other agencies to understand what it was we wanted to buy and what we needed to have proven to us before we bought it. At times I had to say no to people if they couldn’t provide us with the documentation that we needed.” Over time the team refined their


product lines to give more consistency for the frontlines. Since August all products have come via the Department for Health and Social Care, so the team were able to stop procuring. PC Sean Miller, who manages the


distribution aspect of the operation, adds: “The most in-demand bit of kit was the surgical mask. At its peak we had 18 million in stock. The Federation helped us by explaining to officers the benefits of using the mask (if someone spits at you it won’t go through and infect your mouth). Gloves were through the roof as well, and hand sanitiser – we got in touch with a manufacturer and had supplies transferred into policing and away from other non- essential industries. We had some vaping companies make some 100ml ones to fit trouser pockets so people could carry them on their person.”


“The Federation was invited to be a part of this process from the start, as the operation recognised the importance of having input from frontline officers. This ensured the PPE guidance was more relevant, with examples such as how to deal with somebody who is non- compliant during the pandemic, as well as giving early notice of where problems might arise so that they could be dealt with before they impacted the frontline.” Simon Kempton, PFEW National Board


Op TALLA has issued new, interactive


guidance to forces which informs officers of the kit they should wear in different situations. Matt worked with Simon Kempton from the Federation’s National Board to produce guidance that is easy to understand. As a result, consumption of some lesser used items has rocketed. Research from the University of Cardiff (commissioned by Op TALLA) into PPE fatigue and usage, suggests that internal settings are among the top places for spread of the virus. “The belief is that we are used to our colleagues, we believe they are clean people, and we drop our guard,” says Matt. “Keep masks on in the workplace, make sure hand hygiene is observed, and don’t make a round of tea for your colleagues – some of those things we do as friendly and decent people, we have to stop now.”


APRIL 2021 | POLICE | 11


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36