Armed gunmen "attack" Ng Teng Fong General Hospital in anti-terror security exercise

Simulated terrorists are neutralised by a Police Emergency Response Team during the third and final installment of Exercise Heartbeat 2016, held at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital on Oct 23, 2016. ST PHOTO: SEAH KWANG PENG
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SCDF Paramedics and Ng Teng Fong General Hospital Medical Emergency Response Team attend to casualties during the third and final installment of Exercise Heartbeat 2016 on Oct 23, 2016. ST PHOTO: SEAH KWANG PENG
Simulated terrorists shoot civilians at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, in the third and final installment of Exercise Heartbeat 2016 on Oct 23, 2016. ST PHOTO: SEAH KWANG PENG

SINGAPORE - Three armed gunmen attacked a medical conference at the Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (NTFGH) Tower A, on Sunday (Oct 23), opening fire on attendees at the reception area. Attendees scampered for their lives, some into the auditorium, while some hid under tables.

But do not worry, it was all just part of the third and final installment of this year's Exercise Heartbeat, now into its eighth year. The exercise seeks to enhance emergency preparedness and joint response during a crisis.

It involved 185 people from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), staff and tenants from NTFGH, members of Jurong Gateway Safety and Security Watch Group and residents from Yuhua and Bukit Batok East constituencies.

Guest-of-Honour Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, observed the exercise.

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During the simulation, the SPF's Emergency Response Teams and Neighbourhood Police Centre Ground Response Forces engaged and neutralised the gunmen.

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After they had secured the location, the SCDF emergency responders, wearing ballistic resistance vests and ballistic helmets, performed rescue operations.

The Medical Emergency Response Team from NTFGH, comprising doctors and nurses, also provided on-site medical treatment at the First Aid Point.

Exercise participants underwent SGSecure training on survival skills and knowledge, prior to the event, including the "Run, Hide, Tell" advisory and "Press, Tie, Tell" first aid method.

A localised alert message was also sent out to people in the vicinity of NTFGH before the exercise started, through the recently announced SMS-based Public Alert System.

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