The Counter-Terrorism (CT) Training Stations at the Training Village are designed to familiarise trainees with terrorism-related occurrences which they may encounter as first responders. The stations aim to create an increases awareness of the critical roles that trainees must take on to combat terrorism. The CT Training Stations are:
Mailroom Security Screening Training Station
The aim of this station is provide a systematic and structured approach to train frontline officers deployed in mail registry or guard room to detect IEDs delivered through mails and parcels.
The teaching methodology used in this room include analysis of case studies of actual events involving mail delivered IEDs, replicas of IED rigged mails based on actual cases, Computer–Based Training on X-ray images interpretation, bombers’ techniques and mail room security audio-visual training.
Car Blast Training Station
The Car-Blast Training Station houses a life-size diorama of the scene following a car bomb attack, which is set
within the context of an urban area represented by a backdrop showing the bombing of the Marriott Hotel bombing in Jakarta. It serves to acquaint trainees with post-blast scene management procedures and the investigation processes concerned. The diorama features many subtle details. These facilitate training in the recognition of evidence and secondary risks. The proper management of a scene in the aftermarth of an explosion is vital to its effective mitigation and the prevention of further damage or injury. It also plays a critical role in facilitating investigations into an explosion. The preservation of evidence will help to lead to the apprehension and sucessful prosecution of the perpetrators.
Terrorists’ Safehouse
The Terrorist Safehouse is aimed at helping front-line officers to recognize tell-tale evidence of terrorist activities in a residential housing unit. Set within this simulated safehouse are two specially designed training rooms.
Post Blast Investigations Rooms
The rooms simulate primary and secondary blast scenes featuring a residential housing kitchen (primary scene as the seat of explosion) which was used by terrorists to manufacture improvised explosive devices rigged with chemical and biological agents, and an adjacent room (secondary scene) showing the effects of destruction caused by the explosion in the kitchen.
Bombers’ Workbench Room
The room simulates an operational set-up of terrorist elements for the manufacturing of improvised explosive devices. There are various items scattered around the room that are tell-tale signs of the presence of terrorists’ activities.
Protective Security Demonstration Room
The Protective Security Demonstration Room is a physical reference point which supports MHA’s efforts to raise the level of dialogue on security technology and best practices.
Given the threat to soft targets, one of MHA’s key aims is to engage the private sector to share the responsibility and cost of enhancing security.
A challenge that domain owners face is that of the lack of expert knowledge on Protective Security. Even with a willing owner, there is a need for clear guidelines and greater knowledge. MHA has worked closely with consultants, academics and professional counterparts to develop expertise in their areas. A few major outcomes to date are:
· Guidelines on Building Security
· Professional competency to design and build more secure buildings
· Awareness amongst building owners of the need to install more secure buildings
Global Terrorism Suite
The Global Terrorism Suite builds trainees’ awareness with regards to the development of global terrorism.
Through a comprehensive gallery of exhibits and information displays, it primes the trainee on the profiles of terrorists and their corresponding tactics. A special feature in the suite is the mini “smell” laboratory. It makes use of common but safe substances to simulate the odours of chemical and biological agents. This is to help familiarise trainees’ olfactory senses to the distinctive odours of hazardous agents. The lessons learnt from previous incidents have shown that early realisation of a gas attack when it strikes is critical in mitigating its harmful effects. It is also vital for first responders to be able to readily identify dangerous biochemical or explosive substances.
Security of Sensitive Materials Gallery
The Security of Sensitive Materials Gallery aims to heighten the awareness of HT officers and National Authorities towards commonly available materials which can be employed as weapons of terrorism. It showcases “Security Sensitive Materials” or SSMs such as flammables, toxins and poisons which can be obtained from industrial processing lines or be bought off-the-shelf at local stores. This is an extension the current Global Terrorism Suite. This gallery serves as an expansion to the current SSM Awareness Programme attended by frontline officers from HT Departments and other national authorities. The Gallery was completed in May 2010.
MRT Carriage Training Station
The MRT Training Station features a train carriage replica that serves to facilitate hands-on situational training in emergency response procedures. It comes complete with internal fittings and a flight of stairs simulating an MRT station escalator. The train carriage replica is built on a section of track. This is used to aid training in conducting security checks on a MRT track.
The “Base II” Mock Up Discotheque
In our efforts to continuously develop the features within the HT Training Village and to inject realism into training, a two storey mock up discotheque was developed in December 2009.
The first floor features a bar complete with a deejay console, disco lightings, lasers, two large screen LCD television screens and an elevated dance platform. A small room on the first floor within the disco has also been converted into a KTV room complete with a karaoke system. The second level of the disco has a seating area with a realistic disco setting which can be converted into a classroom complete with projection screens.
The discotheque allows the possibility of multi agency training to be conducted. For example the compliance management officers from Police Divisions could conduct their training here with NEA to test the sound emitting from the disco as this is one of the breaches of licensing conditions for public entertainment outlets. Similarly Police Land Division, CNB, CID’s Anti Vice could also conduct a simulation of a typical joint ops against public entertainment outlets. The development of the disco was completed in April 2010.