In the hours after the attacks, the response effort suffered from con fusion surrounding the four explosions, communications problems, and gaps in pre disaster planning. The confusion brought about by the blasts is evidenced by the conflicting calls received by 999 operators that resulted in fire engines being dispatched to the wrong locations. This dis order resulted in the breakdown of emergency procedures, such as the failure of the emergency services to work cooperatively. At each bombing site, each response agency made its own declaration of a major incident, despite guidance in the London Emergency Service Procedures Manual implying that one service make the initial call on behalf of all others at the scene.