Former power station plays host to anti-terror training exercise
THE DECOMMISSIONED Ferrybridge Power Station was filled with emergency crews yesterday as they were tested on how they would respond to a terrorist attack.
The site of the former coalfired power station near Knottingley, which closed last year, was chosen for the 12 hour ‘live play exercise’ led by the North East Counter Terrorism Unit.
It was five months in the planning and involved participants from agencies including regional police forces, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service and Yorkshire Ambulance Service.
The exercise ended at midnight and the Ferrybridge site has now returned to business as usual.
The scenario saw first responders from the emergency services deal with a marauding terrorist firearms attack, similar to the attack in London Bridge which killed eight people, and resolve a siege situation involving a large number of hostages.
Teams were tasked with detaining the suspects, managing the scene, protecting the public and rescuing the wounded.
Counter-terror officials say the exercise was one of a number of national counter terrorism exercises which routinely take place throughout the UK and was not in response to any specific threat or intelligence regarding the Ferrybridge site.
It forms part of the legal obligation of the emergency services and partner agencies to prepare and practice for major incidents.
Detective Superintendent Nik Adams, Regional Coordinator for Protect and Prepare at the North East Counter Terrorism Unit, said: “Exercises of this scale are a great opportunity for us to test our tactics and ensure that our multi-agency plans are as effective as they can be in managing incidents and keeping the public safe.
“It’s vital we train together for incidents of this nature and learn as much as possible from the range of challenges they present. All partners are fully committed to ensuring we are thoroughly prepared.”