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Are Your Communications Ready for Martyn’s Law?

Preparing Your Teams and Communication Systems for Martyn’s Law

Give your teams and sites the reliable two-way radio communication they need to support your Martyn’s Law response procedures. From coordinating evacuations and lockdowns to sharing critical information quickly, dependable communication is essential during an emergency.

CSE Crosscom provides tailored communication solutions to help keep your teams connected, informed and prepared when it matters most.

What Is Martyn’s Law?

‘Martyn’s Law’ is the common name for the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, named for Martyn Hett, one of 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena terrorist attack on 22nd May 2017. The Act is intended to improve preparedness for terrorist attacks at publicly accessible premises and events, and is expected to come into force in spring 2027. Statutory guidance to support the Act was published in April 2026, setting out the practical steps organisations are expected to take.

The Act does not prescribe a particular security system, but it does require covered premises and events to prepare for evacuation, invacuation, lockdown and communication. Each procedure depends on the right instruction reaching every relevant team – and information returning to whoever is coordinating the response. CSE Crosscom designs and supports the critical communications that make this possible across your buildings, sites and operational roles.


Who Will the Martyn’s Law Requirements Affect?

The Act covers buildings and groups of buildings used mainly for public-facing activities such as retail, hospitality, entertainment, music, sport, education, healthcare and public services. A building or event will generally enter scope when at least 200 people, including staff, can reasonably be expected at the same time. This means the busiest attendance you would genuinely anticipate, rather than the building’s theoretical maximum capacity.

Schools, Colleges, Universities, healthcare estates, shopping centres, stadiums, event venues, hotels, leisure venues and local authority buildings are among the environments that may be affected.

The duties belong to the responsible person: the individual or organisation that controls how the premises are managed and used. On a large estate, this may require you to establish whether several buildings form one premises or are managed separately.

Standard and Enhanced Tiers

The law includes standard and enhanced tiers based on your attendance thresholds:

Standard tier: 200–799 people

The official Martyn’s Law guidance identifies four public protection procedures for which your teams may need to prepare.

  • Evacuation: Moving people out of the premises or affected area.
  • Invacuation: Moving people to a safer location inside.
  • Lockdown: Controlling entry and exit to restrict movement.
  • Communication: Warning people and telling them what to do.

Enhanced tier: 800 or more people

The same duties apply, together with additional measures addressing site monitoring, people’s movement, physical safety and security, and sensitive information. An organisation must appoint a senior responsible individual to oversee the response plan, and document how its arrangements are expected to reduce vulnerability and harm.

Note: A publicly accessible event can fall within the enhanced tier when at least 800 people are expected and entry is controlled through tickets, passes, membership or invitations, even if the premises are not usually subject to the enhanced tier.

Childcare premises, schools, further-education settings and places of worship remain in the standard tier regardless of attendance numbers.

How to Comply With Martyn’s Law

Martyn’s Law has made it necessary for many organisations to audit and update the communication systems behind their emergency procedures. Your current arrangements may need attention if:

  • Different teams use systems or devices that cannot communicate.
  • Some buildings or areas have poor radio or mobile coverage.
  • There is no way to alert the whole estate in an emergency.
  • Escalation responsibilities are unclear.
  • Contractors or lone workers are excluded from the response plan.
  • Communications depend too heavily on public mobile networks.
  • Alerts, calls and acknowledgements are not systematically recorded.

Martyn’s Law Security Solutions: How We Support You

CSE Crosscom can survey your premises to identify radio dead spots and areas where your building layout, distance or construction materials might weaken coverage. This shows you where your existing system can be retained and whether additional infrastructure or a different design may be needed.

We can connect radio, alerting and control-room systems across your estate, allowing operators to issue messages to defined groups, monitor active radios, include lone workers and contractors when required, and receive information back from the people carrying out the response.

Voice, data and alert traffic can also be recorded, giving you a clear account of how communications operated during an exercise or incident. If public mobile and 4G/5G coverage cannot provide sufficient resilience, we can assess whether a dedicated radio network would provide a suitable alternative.

Our engineers can also install, maintain and test the resulting system, giving the people leading your Martyn’s Law preparations a communication arrangement they can build into their procedures and adapt as your sites and teams change.

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