Insurers to get military training

7MST, part of The Surveillance Group, is to train the insurance industry in military training to deal with natural disasters.

Chief executive of The Surveillance Group, Tim Young, said: “My favourite phrase, from battlefield to cattlefield sums up what we are trying to do in bringing military medical training and crisis management training to rural and isolated professions.

“As weather patterns tend to surprise us at different locations around the UK, it may be high time for insurance companies to look again at this element of risk assessments. With more flooding now reported at random points across the UK, being better prepared is critical. Having specialised skills that reduces the kind of risks that go hand in hand with such disasters will be increasingly important.

“For companies to reduce these types of claims we have to go way above the basic legislative requirement for first aid at work and implement a programme which really does prepare everyone for any disasters. With this in mind we believe that 7MST teaches the ‘muscle memory’ required to tackle emergencies, whether it’s on remote areas of Britain or Piccadilly Circus in London. It draws on the experience of its highly trained ex-military medics whose knowledge is steeped in keeping people alive in austere conditions."