A training exercise to test the response of the emergency services to a terrorist attack took place Humberside over the past few days.
Led by Counter Terrorism Policing North East, the exercise involved participants from a number of agencies, including regional police forces, Humberside Fire and Rescue Service and Yorkshire Ambulance Service.
The scenario saw first responders from the emergency services deal with a marauding terrorist attack and resolve a siege situation involving a large number of hostages. Participating agencies were tasked with detaining the suspects, managing the scene, protecting the public and rescuing the wounded.
This was one of a number of national counter terrorism exercises which routinely take place throughout the UK under the Government’s rolling exercise programme and forms part of the legal obligation of the emergency services and partner agencies to prepare and practice for major incidents under the Civil Contingencies Act.
Detective Superintendent Matt Davison is the Regional Coordinator for Protect and Prepare at the Counter Terrorism Policing North East. He said: “Exercises such as this are an important opportunity for us to test our skills and tactics and make sure that our multi-agency plans are as effective as they can be in managing incidents and keeping our communities safe.
“It’s vital we train together for incidents of this nature and learn as much as possible from the range of challenges they present. All partners are fully committed to ensuring we are thoroughly prepared should the worst happen in our area.
“We’d like to thank local businesses and the community for their patience and cooperation and for the support we’ve received from our partners who assisted us in hosting this exercise (Associated British Ports and P&O). We’re really pleased with the dedicated and professional response to the incident by all those taking part.
“We will now look to carry out a full debrief along of the exercise alongside our partners to make sure we capture any additional learning and incorporate it into our major incident plans.”