Page 10 - Top Cover Issue 9

10 TOP COVER ISSUE 9

FEATURE

he National Counter-
Terrorism Exercise
STRONG TOWER,
which took place on 30th
June and 1st July, was
Tdesigned to test the
UK’s terrorism contingency planning
arrangements based on multiple armed
attacks. The intention was to deliver
an event as close to realism as possible
so that participants would be fully
immersed in a fast moving terrorist
incident. Considerable thought was put
into developing a scenario that would
test the operational frontline response as
well as commanders in operations rooms.
We researched similar incidents around
but purposefully avoided recreating
any previous event. The planning had
commenced prior to the awful attack in
Paris but that incident certainly served to
underscore the exercise’s importance and
the challenges faced in a capital city not
dissimilar to London.

WRITTEN BY BRIAN DILLON
Deputy Exercise Director,
Metropolitan Police Service.