Anti-terror drills strengthen community bonds, more community partners should join scheme: Sim Ann

SINGAPORE – Many more people would have been injured if an alert member of the public had not spotted the unattended bag at CQ @ Clarke Quay.

The man informed CQ’s Company Emergency Response Team (Cert) officers, who immediately cleared the area of tourists and passers-by when the bag began to emit smoke.

The police were also alerted, while one of the Cert officers used a fire extinguisher on the bag.

With that threat barely neutralised, a loud bang was heard from a nearby driveway – a car had rammed into a bollard.

Bystanders tried to help the driver and the one passenger in the white car but started running away when the driver came after them with a machete.

Luckily, the chaos and confusion on the morning of Nov 3 were just part of a simulated terror attack.

Exercise Heartbeat was organised by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). It was held at CQ @ Clarke Quay for the first time since 2017.

Exercise Heartbeat was held at CQ @ Clarke Quay for the first time since 2017.

ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

More than 80 participants, including SPF’s Emergency Response Team (ERT), ground response officers, paramedics and stakeholders responded to the “terror” attack at CQ, known for its nightlife and restaurants.

Ms Sim Ann, Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs, observed the exercise.

She said she was happy to see the effective coordination among various Home Team departments and partners from CQ.

Ms Sim said: “It’s very important for various stakeholders to come together to exercise scenarios against potential threats because this can strengthen our community bonds.

“This can allow us to check the relevance of our plans, and it really helps to enhance the effectiveness of our joint response during crises.

“I would like to encourage more community partners, including commercial partners, to join SPF’s Safety and Security Watch Group scheme.”

In the exercise scenario, all hell broke loose as tourists, workers and passers-by fled from the crazed driver, who hacked a few people with his machete.

Some of those fleeing the scene used their mobile phones to alert the authorities about the terror attack, which is a key aspect of

SGSecure’s advisory “Run, Hide, Tell”

The police ground response officers who arrived quickly were met with a chaotic and bloody scene – the injured groaning in pain on the floor.

The officers were supported by the ERT, who neutralised the armed man. The passenger, who was injured in the crash, was handcuffed.

But it was not over yet. A lone terrorist who had left the smoking bag returned and fired a pistol wildly at people at CQ.

The situation escalated, with the man taking a hostage and threatening to kill him if the police went closer.

A gunman holding a hostage Exercise Heartbeat at CQ @ Clarke Quay on Nov 3.

ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

The police officers formed a cordon around the armed man from behind covered positions.

Unknown to the terrorist, a police special unit team had also closed in. The moment the hostage made a dash to safety, an officer from the special unit fired two rounds at the terrorist.

With the area now secured and the suspect handcuffed, SCDF paramedics wearing Kevlar helmets and ballistic-resistant vests attended to the casualties under a protective police cordon.

The injured were taken to a nearby area, where they were triaged based on the severity of their injuries.

Several security-related exercises have

been conducted in the community

by the Home Team since 2015. Exercise Heartbeat has been held annually for more than a decade.

Mr Ervin Yeo, chief executive officer of commercial management, CapitaLand Investment, said he is aware that CQ is a unique place that is “quite porous”, has a high footfall and has many entry points.

To deal with uncertainties, CQ has a trained security team who knows the entry and weakness points, and are able to work with tenant staff who go through training with CQ.

“If tenants see it (a suspicious activity or an altercation) they’re also advised to inform our (security) team,” said Mr Yeo.

Law enforcement officers would then be alerted to address the situation.

Added Mr Yeo: “I think the message is if you see something, please say something. But make the correct assessment before you actually get physically involved because there are people who are trained and have the right equipment and the right training to step into incidents.”

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