How well did the 7/7 emergency services respond?  One of the key
questions at the heart of the 7 July inquests is whether the
emergency services could have responded faster and better.  The
London Assembly had already reported that poor communications
and a lack of basic medical supplies hampered the rescue
operation. So what else has the inquests learned?  The hearings
have focused on a number of key areas including:    • The
ambulance service   • The fire fighters   • The police   •
Overall command and control   There was a delay of 52 minutes in
getting ambulances to Tavistock Square, the scene of the bus
attack where 13 people died.  Crews were only sent to the bus
attack after reports of a second blast at 1040 - a controlled
explosion of a suspicious package.  Jessica Ashford, the first
paramedic to reach Tavistock Square, had in fact been despatched
to Russell Square. She said the scene was devastating, with
parts of bodies strewn across the road. Mrs Ashford alerted
control at 0957 BST, performed a qui