The exercises, which will involve police, hospitals, firefighters, ambulance services and representatives of the Emergency Planning Society, may be held either in the London Underground or in one of the ministries on Whitehall. To test the preparedness of all municipal services for decontamination operations and the speed of evacuation of people from hot spots, the authorities intend to reproduce the effect of a chemical, biological or nuclear attack, reports The Independent.
A statement from the UK Home Office said the exercises are planned for late March to early April. A Ministry spokesman warned that city residents are likely to face significant inconvenience during the exercises. "These will be real exercises, not paper exercises," he stressed. In addition, it is planned to test Britain's ability to cope with an attack on its water supplies and gas storage facilities.
According to Home Secretary David Blunkett, the purpose of the exercises is to make sure that "we are as prepared as possible for any attack, including chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats." "We ask Parliament and the public for patience," he added.
Brian Ward, chairman of the Emergency Planning Society, which coordinates the work of the "999" services (999 is the unified emergency telephone number for police, ambulance and fire services), notes that a training evacuation of London residents will be carried out during the exercises. Camps for receiving victims will also be set up. Later, exercises will be organized in other cities of Britain.
Minister Blunkett also said he intends to launch a special website on the Internet where visitors will be able to get clear information on how to act in the event of a terrorist attack.