Emergency response to major terrorist incident tested in exercise across Cambridgeshire
The exercise involved a fictional terrorist attack in Cambridgeshire
Emergency services across the area have been testing their response to major terrorism incidents, in a large-scale operation spanning three counties.
The multi-agency exercise, orchestrated by the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU), looked to test a number of specialist capabilities across policing and other agencies.
It took place on Wednesday and Thursday this week, and involved blue light services – including local forces and specialist resources from Counter Terrorism Policing - taking part in a ‘live-play’ incident involving fictional, linked terrorist attacks in Cambridgeshire, Essex and Norfolk.
A spokesperson for the ERSOU said: “The scenario tested the way police and partners reacted to challenging, dynamic situations alongside other emergency services, to test key roles in the event of a terrorist incident.
“The exercise was not in response to any specific threat or intelligence but is part of a regular testing and exercising programme nation-wide.”
Among the 12 organisations involved were Cambridgeshire Constabulary, Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, East of England Ambulance Service, British Transport Police and Stansted Airport.
Assistant Chief Constable Adam Ball, from ERSOU, explained: “Testing response planning is something that takes place regularly across all emergency services and is a vital way of ensuring we are as prepared as possible to respond to a major incident such as a terror attack.
“Not only do exercises such as this help to ensure all services understand each other’s roles, but they also provide an opportunity to highlight areas where learnings can be identified and adopted. These can then be shared with teams up and down the country so that we are all aligned in our response.
“Fortunately, terror incidents are rare, however we are better prepared than ever to respond when required. I’m incredibly grateful to everyone involved in pulling the exercise together, along with those who took part.”
The threat to the UK from terrorism ‘remains at substantial’, say the ERSOU.
“The public are crucial to the work of police forces and Counter Terrorism Policing in keeping people safe,” the spokesperson added: “If you see something doesn’t feel right, contact your local force or report it at gov.uk/ACT.”