OVER 200 police officers will take part in a staged firearms incident at the RSC on Sunday (January 8).
The live-play exercise has been three months in the planning to to enhance the skills of emergency responders when managing a major incident.
Exercise Titus will see officers from Warwickshire Police, West Mercia Police, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service and West Midlands Ambulance Service gathering at the theatre to handle the fake threat.
Chief Inspector Mark Colquhoun said: “Together with our blue-light colleagues we regularly train, plan and prepare for a wide number of situations, everything from significant disruptions on the roads, severe weather and criminal incidents.
“This helps us to ensure that, should the worst happen, our response will be effective and well-coordinated.
“During this exercises we will be testing how our armed officers respond to a major incident involving the criminal use of firearms and how they work alongside other emergency services in a popular, busy, location.
“The RSC have been kind enough to let us use the theatre for this event, which gives us a truly unique opportunity. I would like to emphasise that Exercise Titus is not in response to any threat.”
The RSC was happy to help with the exercise.
Executive director Catherine Mallyon added: “It is a rare and valuable opportunity for the RSC to be part of a large scale planning exercise of this nature, and we are pleased to provide an interesting training location for the emergency services.
“We are continuously updating our own Major Incident Plan and we train our staff to deal with a whole range of possible events from the impact of severe weather to technology failures.
“Having the chance to take part in this multi-agency exercise allows us to observe and ask questions about the appropriate management of serious incidents, which will help us with our own future planning.”
