Staged scenarios arm residents with skills to respond to terror attacks
The Singapore Police Force's Emergency Response Teams seen engaging gunmen during a media preview of the scenario drill for the Chong Pang revamped Emergency Preparedness (EP) Day on May 25, 2016. It will feature a hostage situation in a coffee shop involving two gunmen and the "Run, Hide and Tell" advisory. Photo: Koh Mui Fong
SINGAPORE — What should you do when you see gunmen holding people hostage in a coffeeshop you are near? Of if a bomb goes off in your neighbourhood? When is it safe to run, and when should you hide?
Awareness of how to respond to such scenarios are what the authorities aim to imbue in the community under a revamp of Emergency Preparedness (EP) Day, with the aim to “sensitise, train and equip” residents with skills and information to respond during a terrorist attack.
To that end, drills featuring simulated attacks will be carried out in the heartlands in a pilot at six constituencies over the coming months, starting with Chong Pang and Jurong Spring over this weekend, followed by Toa Payoh West-Balestier, Pasir Ris West, Nee Soon South and Bedok. The authorities plan to roll out revamped EP Day to all 89 constituencies over the next two years.
So far, three mock scenarios for the revamped EP Day have been planned for the constituencies involved in the pilot. Trained resident volunteers and Home Team officers will have to respond to simulated suicide bombings, assaults by terrorists bearing firearms, and suspicious packages left unattended.
The drill at Chong Pang on Saturday (May 28), for instance, will see two masked gunmen charge into a coffeeshop, fire a number of blank rounds and “injure” two patrons to see how the resident participants respond to the emergency. The newly-set up Emergency Response Team, comprising specially-trained police officers equipped with more firepower, will storm in to take out the assailants while the resident volunteers are supposed to render first aid to their wounded neighbours.
The volunteers will also roleplay the new “Run, Hide, Tell” protocol, which aims to teach residents how to evacuate a location under attack by the safest route or find cover, and inform the police about the attack when they are safe.
Apart from the drill, various stations will be set up for residents to pick up relevant skills such as how to administer first aid using common items like a belt or a shawl, and how to administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the automated external defibrillator. Singapore Civil Defence Force Chief Medical Officer Dr Ng Yih Yng said they have simplified training sessions, such as by using acryonyms and infographics, to cater to residents of all ages.
Residents can also sign up to volunteer with the Home Team and People’s Association as “active responders”.
EP Day has been held annually in all constituencies since 2003, traditionally featuring a range of internal and external threats including home fires, water scarcity and dengue. The revamp is in line with the new SG Secure national movement, which was announced by Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam as part of a ramp-up in Singapore’s counter-terror strategy amid the looming terrorist threat in recent times. Mr Shanmugam stressed then that the movement should not be just a public awareness campaign, but a “call to action”.
To foster community ownership of the exercise, each EP Day will include elements unique to the neighbourhood it is conducted in.
For instance, grassroots leaders in Chong Pang have dedicated next week as “EP Week”, where various talks and workshops on counter terrorism and other common crimes will be conducted. Participants in Jurong Spring’s EP day, on the other hand, will receive an emergency guide.
