KEY POINTS
- The communication procedure is how you alert people to danger and tell them what to do. Without it, evacuation, invacuation and lockdown cannot start.
- Plan two layers: a fast, discreet alert for staff, and a clear instruction for the public.
- Check that your alerts reach every area, including toilets, kitchens, cellars, outside areas and people with sensory impairments.
- Write short scripts in advance for each procedure so nobody has to find the words under pressure.
- Say who calls 999, what they report and who handles messages to neighbours, staff families and the media.
What a communication procedure needs to do
The communication procedure is the process of making sure information reaches people at your premises: alerting them to danger as quickly as possible and telling them what to do, where it is safe to do so. It is one of the four public protection procedures in section 5 of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. The Home Office statutory guidance describes effective communication as essential to starting the other procedures quickly. See public protection procedures for how the four fit together.
A good communication procedure answers five questions:
- How does a concern reach the decision maker quickly?
- How does the decision maker alert all staff?
- How are the public told what to do?
- How are the emergency services told, and by whom?
- Who else needs to know: neighbours, landlords, head office, staff families?
The guidance says communication can take many forms, including verbal instructions, signage, posters, briefings and audio broadcasts. Messages might tell people to move inside and stay away from windows, to go to a safer space or exit route, to move to the back of the building, or simply to get down, stay quiet and stay hidden.
Choosing your alert methods
The statutory guidance suggests that larger premises might use public address systems, loud hailers, closed radio systems and alarms, while smaller premises might rely on loud, clear verbal commands. Most venues use a mix. ProtectUK guidance notes that handheld radios are often the most effective method during a fast-moving attack, while email, text and group messaging may suit slower incidents or recovery.
| Method | Strengths | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Loud verbal instruction | Instant, needs no equipment, suits small venues | Does not carry through noise, walls or separate rooms |
| Public address (PA) | Reaches large areas, confirms the emergency is real | Needs power, may not cover toilets, kitchens or outside |
| Two-way radios | Fast, private, two-way between staff | Not every staff member carries one, batteries, dead spots |
| Staff messaging group | Reaches staff anywhere, including off site | Slower to notice, phones may be in lockers, needs mobile signal |
| Dedicated alarm tone | Distinctive, can mean one procedure only | Must be different from the fire alarm and taught to staff |
| Loud hailer | Useful outdoors and in queues | Must be charged and kept where staff can reach it |
| Runner | Works when everything else fails | Slow, and may put the runner at risk |
ProtectUK advises having backup channels in case a network is overloaded or unavailable. The statutory guidance also says that, where possible, terrorist evacuations should avoid the normal fire alarm, because people may respond as they would to a fire.
Codewords: useful, with care
A codeword lets the decision maker alert staff without alarming the public, or an attacker who can hear. ProtectUK guidance says codewords can work, but warns that only trained people understand them, they need practice, and regular visitors may learn them and react unpredictably.
If you use codewords:
- Keep it to one or two, for example one meaning lockdown and one meaning evacuate, rather than a long list nobody remembers.
- Choose phrases that sound routine over a PA or radio, and that are not used for anything else.
- Include a location if possible, so staff know where the threat is.
- Teach them at induction and refresh them in briefings, including for agency and casual staff.
- Do not print them on public notices, and change them if they become widely known.
- Always follow a codeword with a plain-English instruction to the public when it is time for them to act.
Reaching every area
The statutory guidance asks larger premises to consider where people may be when a message is sent and whether it will reach them. This is good practice for any venue. Walk the building and test each area:
| Area | Common problem | Possible fix |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | No PA speaker, people unaware | Assign a staff member to check them, add PA coverage if reasonably practicable |
| Kitchens and plant rooms | Too noisy to hear | Radio for the head chef or a named runner |
| Cellars, stores and offices | Lone workers out of earshot | Group message, radio or a named person to fetch them |
| Terraces, smoking areas and queues | PA does not reach outside | Door staff with a loud hailer or verbal instruction |
| Function rooms and private hires | Separate sound system, closed doors | Brief the host and give a staff member a radio |
| Loud music areas | Announcement drowned out | Stop the music first, bring up house lights, then speak |
Include people who may not hear or see alerts. ProtectUK advises that alerts should be perceivable by everyone and suggests considering tactile or visual alerts. Your duties under the Equality Act 2010 continue to apply.
Write scripts before you need them
Under stress people forget what to say. The guidance says instructions should be simple, clear and specific to the actions required, and that the message for an evacuation should differ from the message for a lockdown. Short scripts, kept by the PA microphone and in the grab bag, help. These examples are illustrative:
- Evacuation: 'Attention please. For your safety, leave the building now using the rear exits. Do not use the front entrance. Keep moving away from the building. Do not stop outside.'
- Invacuation: 'Attention please. Everyone outside, come inside now. Move to the back of the building, away from the windows, and follow staff instructions.'
- Lockdown: 'Attention please. We are closing the doors for your safety. Move away from the doors and windows, stay quiet and follow staff instructions.'
- All clear: 'The incident is over. Please follow staff instructions to leave the building.'
Speak slowly, repeat the message, and tell people what to do rather than describing what is happening. ProtectUK notes that an all-clear message will be needed at some point, so include one.
Communicating with the emergency services
The statutory guidance asks how the emergency services will be alerted, who will do it and what information they should be given. Name a role, usually the deputy, so the decision maker can keep managing the response. Always call 999 in an emergency. ProtectUK's RUN HIDE TELL advice lists what the police will want to know:
- the exact location of the incident
- where the suspects are and where you last saw them
- a description of the attackers, how many there are, their weapons and their clothing
- information about casualties
- building details, such as entrances and exits
- whether anyone is being held hostage
If you cannot speak, follow the call handler's instructions. Keep floor plans in your grab bag so they can be handed to responders. For suspicious activity that is not an emergency, the police confidential line is 0800 789 321, or you can report online at gov.uk/ACT.
Other people to consider:
- Neighbours and landlords: the guidance includes an example where a local business chat group alerted a café to an attack nearby.
- Media and social media: ProtectUK advises not to release incident details without first agreeing this with the police, and to nominate one person to liaise with them.
- Staff families: staff will want to contact family. Give them a clear line on what they can share.
Communication procedure template outline
- Purpose and scope: the premises, outside areas and any shared spaces covered.
- Reporting concerns: how any member of staff reports something suspicious to the decision maker, and when to call 999 directly.
- Decision makers: who can send alerts on each shift.
- Alert methods: primary and backup channels, with where equipment is kept and who checks it.
- Codewords: what they mean and how they are kept confidential.
- Coverage plan: how each area is reached, including toilets, back of house, outside and lone workers.
- Accessibility: how people with hearing or visual impairments are alerted.
- Scripts: messages for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and all clear.
- Emergency services: who calls 999 and what to report.
- Neighbours, landlord and head office: who tells them, and how.
- Media and social media: who speaks, and only after agreeing with the police.
- Review: version, date, last test and next review.
Common mistakes and next steps
- Assuming the PA reaches everywhere without testing it.
- Using too many codewords, or ones that staff never practise.
- Relying on radios that are flat, switched off or left in the office.
- No plan for when the decision maker is the one who cannot be reached.
- Forgetting agency staff and contractors, who may not be in the staff group chat.
Check your tier with the free checker, then test your alerts as part of a walk-through, as described in testing and drills. Make sure every new starter learns the codewords and scripts, as covered in staff training requirements. Our packs include an editable communication procedure and script cards.
Frequently asked questions
Should we use codewords?
They can help alert staff discreetly, but ProtectUK warns that only trained staff understand them and regular visitors may learn them. Keep to one or two, practise them, and always follow up with a clear instruction to the public.
Can we use the fire alarm to warn people of a terrorist attack?
The Home Office guidance says evacuation plans for terrorist attacks should, where possible, avoid using the normal fire alarm, because people may respond as they would to a fire. Use a PA message, radio alert or direct instruction instead.
Do we need to buy a PA system or radios?
No. The Act does not require specific equipment. Smaller venues can rely on loud, clear verbal instructions and a staff messaging group, provided the alert reliably reaches every area.
What should we tell the police when we call 999?
ProtectUK advises giving the location, where the suspects are, a description of the attackers, their numbers and weapons, any casualties, building details such as entrances and exits, and whether anyone is being held hostage.
Sources
General information based on the Act and published guidance, not legal advice. Check the official statutory guidance on GOV.UK for your situation.