South Ayrshire Council - News - Major Incident Exercise

COUNCIL CHIEF AND STAFF JOIN IN MAJOR INCIDENT EXERCISE

The Chief Executive of South Ayrshire Council Tom Cairns and a number of senior officers from the Council have taken part in a major incident exercise as part of a national counter terrorism strategy.

The exercise which had been planned for more than a year was conducted by Strathclyde Police between Friday, April 28 and Sunday, April 30.

After returning to his duties at South Ayrshire Council Headquarters, in Ayr, Chief Executive Tom Cairns said: “It was a large scale multi-agency exercise, involving Strathclyde Police together with representation from a number of local, regional and national Government agencies. South Ayrshire Council was represented by various personnel from a range of departments.”

An official statement released following the exercise explained that the exercise “formed an integral part of a national counter terrorism exercise programme and was a necessary and important test of contingency plans.”

Tom Cairns praised the commitment that had been shown during the exercise by South Ayrshire Council staff, including the Council’s Depute Chief Executive and Director of Development Safety and Regulation, Graham Peterkin, and officers from Social Work, Housing and Health; Environmental Health; Public Protection and Safety; Health and Safety and Emergency Planning. The Council’s own Communications Section, undertaking 12 hour shifts, worked alongside Strathclyde Police and Health Board representatives, to fulfil simulated media and public information requirements during the exercise.

Members of the public were unaffected by the exercise and there was no reduction in the policing services normally provided.

The official statement issued by Strathclyde Police explained: “The exercise had been planned for over a year and was one of a routine series of exercises carried out nationally every year to test the response of emergency services. The lessons learned during the exercise will be incorporated into the Force’s contingency planning and training for officers and staff and shared with other agencies locally.”
Said South Ayrshire Council Chief Executive Tom Cairns: “I am sure that valuable lessons can be learned from the exercise which was undertaken in a most earnest and realistic fashion. The whole exercise was carried out as part of sensible contingency planning, and I would emphasise that it was not in any way connected with any specific threat.”
May 2006