Police Chiefs have announced free counter-terriorism training for every member of the public following the London Bridge attack.
The training course is structured by security experts and they are inviting people to take the course and become a CT Citizen.
Called ACT Awareness, the training takes 45 minutes to complete with seven different modules to be undertaken which includes “identifying security vulnerabilities, identifying and responding to suspicious behaviour, identifying and dealing with a suspicious item, what to do in the event of a bomb threat, how to respond to a firearms or weapons attack,” reports The Telegraph.
Inspecting CCTV cameras in an unusual way or taking photos of security arrangements would be regarded as a suspicious activity. Others cited are holding forged passports or other documents in different names. People who see or hear anything of that sort are requested to report at gov.uk/ACT or call 999 immediately.
This e-learning programme is especially useful for anyone working in or regularly visiting crowded places,” said Deputy Assistant Commissioner Lucy D’Orsi, Senior National Coordinator for Protective Security.
“The threat level remains at substantial, meaning an attack is likely, so giving everyone the chance to be extra eyes and ears for police and local security teams helps to keep all communities safe,” she added.
The training was previously available only to staff working in shopping centres, entertainment venues or other similar crowded venues. The tragic events which took place just 10 days ago, when two people lost their lives to terrorism, were a wake up call for the need of vigilance and a stark reminder of the ongoing threat on the city of London.
“It was a horrifying experience being there, not knowing what to do,” said Sakshi Tomar, who works at Tiffany and Co. in the Shard Offices building. Offices in London Bridge area were cordoned off after the attack and the employees were not allowed to leave the office until 11pm on that night.
Tomar said: “I am quite happy that the police have taken an immediate action and launched this training course. It is better than standing there in that situation, not knowing what to do, as if you are waiting to get killed.”
The course is hosted by online training specialists Highfield. It can be accessed through the following link:
https://ct.highfieldelearning.com
In order to register for the course, users have to provide an email address and their home address. Registration can then take up to seven days to complete, according to the website. However, once registered, you can pause and re-join at any time.
69 terrorists are currently freed on licence, which makes the city more vulnerable to terror attacks and calls out for every citizen to prevent an attack or help save lives if one were to happen, by completing this 45 minutes course.