SINGAPORE: Two gunmen “opened fire” at shoppers in City Square Mall in a counter-terrorism exercise on Thursday (Nov 23).
This was the first such simulated terrorist attack at the mall, the Singapore Police Force said in a press release, adding that the objective of the exercise was to test the coordination among the police, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) as well as the mall’s security team and tenants.
The exercise, which took place at about 1am, also tested the response of security staff at the mall, who worked together with the police to locate and take down the attackers while SCDF officers moved in to perform snatch-rescue operations to save the injured.
The objective of the exercise was to test the coordination among the police, the Singapore Civil Defence Force as well as the mall’s security team and tenants. (Photo: SPF)
Shop assistants participating in the exercise were also tested on their responsiveness in helping shoppers escape or find safe places to hide, the police said.
The police added that the mall’s CCTV system was also used to locate the attackers and facilitate evacuation.
In preparation for the exercise, City Square Mall conducted SGSecure training and table-top exercises to equip its staff and tenants with the necessary skill sets to deal with such an attack.
The mall’s CCTV system was used to locate the attackers and facilitate evacuation. (Photo: SPF)
The news release said the exercise enabled the mall and the emergency forces to evaluate their response plans and tighten their coordination.
The SPF urged all building owners to review their response plan, train and exercise their staff and tenants to enhance their readiness to deal with an attack.
