📋 Tender Overview
A counter-terrorism emergency planning exercise in Glasgow yesterday saw security operatives dealing with realistic terror scenarios presented by actors.The Security Industry Authority SIA which is the regulator for the private security industry ran the safety resilience exercise at Kokomo on Glasgows West Regent Street. The SIA organised the exercise which is the first of its kind in Scotland in partnership with Police Scotland counter-terrorism officers and Glasgow City Council.The training event at Kokomo confronted security staff with a series of real-time simulations involving actors of possible emergency scenarios. These included a mass stabbing an acid attack a marauding terrorist attack taking place outside the club and a suspect package.Ronnie Megaughin the SIAs Acting Director of Inspections Enforcement saidPutting these security operatives into realistic terror scenarios is one of the best ways to prepare them in the event of a real-life incident. We stage a terror incident watch how they deal with the scenario and then provide an instant debrief from counter-terror experts. We know from past experience that operatives and their managers really appreciate what they learn from these events and find them worth their while. Any of these security staff could find themselves as the first responder at a serious incident and this training could literally be the difference between life and death.Lee Crofts the SIA Criminal Investigation manager who co-ordinated the event saidThe main aim of exercises like this is to enhance public safety in the night-time economy by working with venues and security staff. Its also to showcase best practice by putting the Action Counters Terrorism ACT security e-learning package which weve been recommending to all SIA-licensed operatives into practice. Were really pleased with the commitment that all the security staff put into the Kokomo exercise.This emergency planning exercise at Kokomo continues a programme of exercises and follows on from events in Chesterfield and London in autumn 2021. A pilot event took place at Buxton in Derbyshire in October 2019.
