Page 12 - Top Cover Issue 9

12 TOP COVER ISSUE 9

FEATURE

To deliver the realism required meant when commanders required firearms exercise and not a demonstration. The
exercising in central London during officers, specialist paramedics or other media understood this and the event
the day at real venues. Securing suitable skills they would have them available was reported sensibly generating more
locations presented challenges – we for deployment. This required intricate positive than negative comments. As
needed understanding owners who planning – the scenario and anticipated regular readers will know it isn’t always
were prepared to hand over their sites actions had to be worked through so like this in armed policing.
for reasons which we weren’t entirely that the correct assets were on stream. Now the exercise is over the key
prepared to disclose. We wanted space The numbers involved, from the police question is what did we learn? It’s a
and seclusion without causing too much around 1,000, were vast and setting the simple enquiry but cannot be answered
disruption to the public, which isn’t easily stage for the exercise itself was a major so easily. We’ve worked hard to develop
achieved in central London. Transport event with careful logistical planning our response and multi-agency working
for London, London Fire Brigade and required. To avoid teams of emergency with partners so there is confidence in
Canary Wharf Group all agreed to services careering around London on our abilities which was borne out in
provide us with facilities which worked blue lights exercise participants were the exercise. However there is no room
really well and allowed us to start the corralled into holding centres and only for complacency and it is important
development of a viable scenario. A key deployed when tasked to do so by the to take the time to debrief event
element of the preparation was working playing exercise commanders. As officers comprehensively so lessons are identified.
in partnership with all participating arrived at venues they were confronted Nevertheless the exercise demonstrated
agencies and over 17 organisations joined with realistic scenes – we used several the professionalism and skill of armed
in. Beyond this we also enlisted expertise hundred volunteers who acted as citizens officers and the levels of interoperability
in engineering, security and a specialist caught up in events. Some volunteers already achieved. Although the majority
company to simulate news and social were dressed as casualties, some were of officers deployed were from the
media. In a sense the planners created mobile, others not and all of this Metropolitan Police also used were armed
an entire virtual world built around the presented responders with the need to response officers from British Transport
exercise. However the full details of the work with other emergency services in Police and City of London Police. The
entire scenario – what would happen by a hostile environment. The volunteers CTSFO Network is understandably
who and when etc. – was known only by provided fantastic assistance and without London centric but the key point is it’s
a handful of officers. them the exercise would not have been a network and officers beyond the Met
So, we had a scenario, venues and the same. were deployed in STRONG TOWER
widespread reach to plan the exercise. Inevitably the exercise attracted media working alongside their London
The next stage was exercise participants. attention and we agreed in advance colleagues. A national exercise generated
We set out to replicate the numbers their operating parameters, balancing a national response and firearms officers
that would be available from the the justifiable public interest against our were certainly at the sharp end ■
emergency services. The idea was that need to maintain focus on delivering an