POOLE Port hosted the emergency services last month as part of a training exercise to test their response to a major terrorism incident.
The exercise, which took place on January 30 to 31, was carried out to test and enhance the skills of first responders and communication between them when managing a major incident.
The exercise was not in relation to any specific threat.
It involved Dorset Police, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, Hampshire & IOW Fire and Rescue Service and Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, as well as support from voluntary agencies and educational establishments.
A virtual exercise testing the response of the force command centre kicked off the exercise before transitioning into a live exercise within Poole Port, allowing all agencies to exercise their emergency plans and joint working.
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These types of exercises are held regularly all across the country, and a spokesperson for Dorset Police said they are “invaluable” in providing real-life scenarios to test the experience of officers and staff.
“It is vitally important that all partner agencies across the South West, as well as the rest of the UK, are prepared to respond to an emergency incident of this scale,” they added.
Superintendent Stu Pitman, of Dorset Police, has reassured people that the exercise was not based on any threat.
“Firstly, I would like to thank all agencies involved for playing their part, as well as the local community who may have seen or heard increased activity in the area,” he said.
“Extensive planning was put into this exercise involving colleagues from all agencies, and I want to recognise the hard work that enabled this to be a really valuable learning tool for everyone involved.
“A major incident is often extremely fast-paced and complex, and thankfully not something we regularly experience in Dorset, so replicating an incident of this scale provides an incredibly invaluable opportunity for everyone to take their plans and test them in a real-life scenario.
“An incident such as this cannot be managed by one agency alone – collaborative working is absolutely key, and the two days provided us with the ability to work closely together and respond effectively.
“I would like to reassure the public that this exercise was not based on any threat or intelligence relating to Dorset.
“However, national and international events highlight the importance of everyone taking the time to test their emergency response procedures to make sure we are in the best possible position to protect our public.
“We appreciate that the local community may have been aware of the exercise taking place due to noise and presence of a large number of emergency services.
“There was no risk to the public at any time and we would like to thank them for their cooperation with this important exercise.
“There were a number of volunteers who took part in this exercise and I am extremely grateful to them for giving up their time in order to help us execute a realistic scenario.
“Finally, I would like to thank the staff at Poole Port for allowing us to facilitate an exercise of this large scale at their location. Without their support, this wouldn’t have been possible.”
Lewis Connell, emergency preparedness resilience and response officer for Dorset, at the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, said: “In the event of a major incident, we have clear processes and plans in place to help protect and care for our communities.
“Being able to test and exercise our response plans allows us to increase our preparedness for any major incident.
“It also provides an excellent opportunity to work alongside other emergency services and partner organisations.”
Area Manager Jason Moncrieff, from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “A lot of people were involved in planning and managing this exercise, and my thanks go to them for delivering such a valuable experience for everyone who took part.
“It is vital that we practice multi-agency responses to these types of large-scale incidents, so we all have the assurance of knowing how we will need to work together, should the worst happen.”
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