TERRORIST ATTACK 2

"We felt we would have died while we waited for the emergency services" is one family's experience of the UK's biggest mock terror exercise. Standing in a car park for two hours with 400 other angry and confused nerve gas "victims" has left many unnerved at the prospect of a real terror attack.

Just after 9.30am on a Sunday, several "suicide terrorists" played out a scenario of spraying nerve gas into a crowded hall 19 at Europe's busiest exhibition centre, near Birmingham. The emergency services arrived minutes later, but until they were sure what they were up against no crews were deployed.

The "victims", dressed in tracksuits and T-shirts, were evacuated and security guards told them emergency crews would be with them imminently but the first fire engine did not move in to start decontamination until 11.20am. One photographer commented, the coffee and cream cakes arrived before the emergency services.

Meanwhile, two army volunteers also found time to escape the exercise and grab a cup of coffee with expectant media crews mingling at what was called Exercise Horizon. "We could have escaped into Birmingham but, because this is just a training exercise, we thought we would have a cup of coffee instead," they told reporters, leaving organisers with much to reflect on after the region's first full scale "disaster".

Emergency services said they will review why it took three hours to begin decontaminating "victims" in the mock chemical attack. The event, named Exercise Horizon, was followed by the world's media including Arabic TV station Al Jazeera, and involved 2,000 people. It was the largest mock terror attack ever staged in Britain and was designed to test the responses of emergency crews from the West Midlands, Herefordshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.

Police sealed off the scene outside the NEC within 15 minutes of the incident. A fire service spokeswoman said 14 fire engines were on the scene by 9.47am but none of the casualties were treated immediately. After waiting two hours, several victims tried to escape the containment zone but were apprehended by police officers in protective camouflage suits.

The officers managed to bring the situation under control and all the casualties were gathered together in a tight group. The casualties were forced to strip off their clothes and replace them with bright orange capes. They entered the decontamination unit, designed to clear any traces of the "nerve gas" from their bodies.

Between 160 and 180 firefighters were on the site to deal with the victims, but the Fire Brigades Union said its members were taking part under duress as firefighters are still waiting for their pay award to be honoured. So, if any terrorists are planning to attack the West Midlands, it would be appreciated if they could postpone the attack until the FBU's pay award has been settled. Thankyou.

<<< Prev