Showsec

Sierra Control Room

The Showsec Head of Security, Thomas Rigby, was with Miriam Stone in the Sierra Control Room when the bomb exploded.²⁴⁶ He heard a loud bang and saw the CCTV monitors go white. When the video feed returned, he could see seriously injured people on the floor in the City Room.

Thomas Rigby radioed those Showsec staff not in the City Room.²⁴⁷ He instructed them to divert people away from the City Room and to use every alternative exit.²⁴⁸

Miriam Stone asked Thomas Rigby if there were any Showsec staff who were first aid trained.²⁴⁹ The Showsec radio log records that, at 22:42, a message was broadcast as follows: “Requested for any staff from Showsec that has any first aid skills to City Rooms [sic].”²⁵⁰ Thomas Rigby believes that at least five Showsec staff responded to this request.²⁵¹

In the City Room

David Middleton was the senior Showsec staff member in the City Room at the time of the explosion.²⁵² He was knocked to the floor. A colleague picked him up and dragged him through the Arena doors. David Middleton then began diverting people away from the doors that led back into the City Room.²⁵³

Daniel Perry initially assisted David Middleton out of the City Room immediately after the blast. He then helped organise “a staff line in [order] to divert people away from the arena”.²⁵⁴

Jordan Beak was a Showsec Supervisor.²⁵⁵ He was standing with David Middleton facing the grey doors when he saw a “really bright flash of light”. He was temporarily blinded. When his vision returned, he was standing on the Arena concourse.²⁵⁶ He did not know how he had got there.

He went back into the City Room. He grabbed T‑shirts from the merchandise stall to cover people up and to be applied as dressings.²⁵⁷ He did what he could to help the injured. He covered Michelle Kiss.²⁵⁸ He later assisted people away from the City Room.²⁵⁹

Robert Atkinson, a Showsec Steward, was on the raised walkway with Kyle Lawler when the bomb detonated.²⁶⁰ He went to the City Room. While in the City Room, he did what he could to assist the casualties,²⁶¹ one of whom was Sorrell Leczkowski.²⁶²

Megan Balmer, a Showsec Supervisor, was by the doors into the Arena facing the concourse.²⁶³ The explosion forced her through the doors. Initially, she ran in the direction of Hunts Bank.²⁶⁴ She was instructed by a colleague to evacuate people through that exit and released a set of doors to allow this. She heard a request for first aiders who were willing to help.²⁶⁵ Having requalified in first aid 18 months earlier, she made her way to the City Room.²⁶⁶

Once in the City Room, Megan Balmer did what she could to help the casualties, including applying tourniquets, dressing wounds and offering reassurance.²⁶⁷ She checked on Wendy Fawell, but found there was nothing she could do to help.²⁶⁸ She sought to provide assistance to Kelly Brewster.²⁶⁹ She also helped a casualty down to the Casualty Clearing Station.²⁷⁰

Amy Barratt, a Showsec Door Supervisor, was in the Arena bowl when she heard “a loud bang”.²⁷¹ She heard an instruction over the radio to open the barriers and let people exit out of the back gate of the Victoria Exchange Complex. Having done this, she made her way towards the City Room. She heard a request for people with first aid training. She had done a first aid at work course some years before. Wanting to help, she made her way to the City Room.²⁷²

Once in the City Room, she did what she could for those who were injured,²⁷³ including checking Saffie‑Rose Roussos²⁷⁴ and Wendy Fawell.²⁷⁵

Other Showsec staff members tried to help those who were killed by the explosion. Usman Ahmed and Jade Samuels sought to assist Alison Howe.²⁷⁶ Jade Samuels also bent down next to John Atkinson for a short time.²⁷⁷ Akeel Butt was with those helping John Atkinson.²⁷⁸