Major terrorism training exercise completed at Poole Port
Emergency services have taken part in a 'large scale' test event
Last updated 20th Feb 2025
Poole Port has been hosting a large-scale training exercise - to test the response of emergency services to a major terrorism incident.
Dorset Police, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, Hampshire & IOW Fire and Rescue Service and Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service took part, along with voluntary groups and educational settings.
We're reassured the exercise wasn't in relation to any specific threat though.
These tests are held regularly all across the country to provide 'real-life' scenarios to test experience of officers and staff.
Superintendent Stu Pitman, of Dorset Police, said: “Firstly, I would like to thank all agencies involved for playing their part, as well as the local community who may have seen or heard increased activity in the area.
“Extensive planning was put into this exercise involving colleagues from all agencies and I want to recognise the hard work that enabled this to be a really valuable learning tool for everyone involved.
“A major incident is often extremely fast-paced and complex, and thankfully not something we regularly experience in Dorset, so replicating an incident of this scale provides an incredibly invaluable opportunity for everyone to take their plans and test them in a real-life scenario.
“An incident such as this cannot be managed by one agency alone – collaborative working is absolutely key and the two days provided us with the ability to work closely together and respond effectively.
“I would like to reassure the public that this exercise was not based on any threat or intelligence relating to Dorset. However, national and international events highlight the importance of everyone taking the time to test their emergency response procedures to make sure we are in the best possible position to protect our public.
“We appreciate that the local community may have been aware of the exercise taking place due to noise and presence of a large number of emergency services. There was no risk to the public at any time and we would like to thank them for their cooperation with this important exercise.
“There were a number of volunteers who took part in this exercise and I am extremely grateful to them for giving up their time in order to help us execute a realistic scenario.
“Finally, I would like to thank the staff at Poole Port for allowing us to facilitate an exercise of this large scale at their location. Without their support, this wouldn’t have been possible.”
Lewis Connell, Emergency Preparedness Resilience and Response Officer for Dorset, at the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, said:
“In the event of a major incident, we have clear processes and plans in place to help protect and care for our communities.
“Being able to test and exercise our response plans allows us to increase our preparedness for any major incident. It also provides an excellent opportunity to work alongside other emergency services and partner organisations.”
Area Manager Jason Moncrieff, from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “A lot of people were involved in planning and managing this exercise, and my thanks go to them for delivering such a valuable experience for everyone who took part.
“It is vital that we practice multi-agency responses to these types of large-scale incidents, so we all have the assurance of knowing how we will need to work together, should the worst happen.”