Britain to Hold Largest-ever Mock Terror Alert

July 16, 2004

LONDON (AFP) - Britain is to stage its biggest-ever mock terror alert which will see thousands of emergency workers respond to a supposed poison gas attack on a public venue.

john

uk.news.yahoo.com...

Its about time we had something like this, i really do think that we are not prepared in this country at all for an attack of this kind.

Around 400 volunteer "casualties" will also be deployed for the exercise, to be held on Sunday at an as-yet undisclosed location in central England.

More than 2,000 ambulance staff, fire officers and police from around the West Midlands region will test their response to the supposed attack, regional emergency planners said.

I think it would be reasonable to assume the exercise might be held in Birmingham. The Fire service union are not happy about taking part.

Staff 'unhappy' at terror exercise Jul 16 2004
By John Revill, The Birmingham Post


Disgruntled firefighters claim they are being intimidated into taking part in a massive mock terrorism training exercise being staged in the Midlands this weekend.

The simulated chemical attack - the biggest to take place in Britain - is one of the measures being undertaken to improve the region's response to a terrorist assault.

But the Fire Brigades Union said its members were unhappy about participating and would only do so after being threatened with disciplinary action.

Tony Nutting, secretary of the West Midlands FBU, said: "I don't think we should be taking part. Chemical training like this was part of the 2003 pay agree-ment which has not been honoured.

"We were supposed to get 3.5 per cent in November and 4.2 per cent in July but we have not had either. They are not paying us but asking us to do the job."

Almost 2,000 emergency services staff will be involved in Sunday's event, which will take the form of a nerve gas attack at an mock arts exhibition.

Mr Nutting claimed the brigade had issued a direct order, saying any firefighter who refused to take part would be sent home and suspended from work.

He said: "My personal view is that I do not want to see anyone suspended so we will have to take part. The management has been very been high handed in its attitude."

Assistant Chief Fire Officer Robert Hulland said: "The training on incident support work has been going on since March and the FBU has been fully involved throughout and they have not objected until now.

"There are a lot of resources from other agencies and we do not think it is appropriate not to proceed.

"There has been no direct order but we expect them to take part."

Similar events have already taken place in London and Newcastle, although the Midland operation, code-named Exercise Horizon, will be the largest to date.

The exact location of the exercise has been kept secret.

The scenario will see three suicide bombers spraying nerve gas into an arts exhibition, causing multiple casualties.

Fire staff wearing the latest chemical and biological warfare equipment will go into the building to rescue 400 volunteers who will pose as members of the public.

Helen Braithwaite, deputy director of the Regional Resilience Team, which is part of the Government Office for the West Midlands, has organised the exercise.

icbirmingham.icnetwork.co.uk...=14432697&method=full&siteid=50002&headline=staff--unhappy--at-terror-exercise-name_page. html


zero lift

Well latest on this that it did not go that well and they have a lot to learn from it,

But i guess thats the whole idea for this kind of thing,

heres a link
www.sky.com...

Emergency services have admitted they've got a lot to learn after taking part in a simulated terrorist attack.

In the biggest exercise of its kind ever carried out in Britain, teams took more than four hours to treat the 'casualties' of a mock nerve gas attack.




More than 2,000 police officers, firefighters and ambulance staff took part in the exercise at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.