A counter-terrorism exercise codenamed “Heartbeat” was held at Republic Polytechnic (RP) on 23 July 2019. The exercise was jointly organised by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Republic Polytechnic (RP), and was supported by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), SMRT Buses and Wee Chwee Huat Scaffolding and Construction (WCH) Pte Ltd.
Mr Amrin Amin, Senior Parliamentary Secretary (SPS), Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health, observed the exercise, which tested the coordination between the Home Team agencies and community stakeholders in response to a simulated terror attack at a tertiary institution.
The exercise also constituted part of RP’s efforts to familiarise staff with emergency procedures during a crisis. As part of the SGSecure movement, RP organises training that strengthens the capabilities of its staff and students to stay vigilant in detecting potential security threats. RP also conducts briefings, to promote anti-terrorism awareness throughout the year, and arranges first aid courses for its teachers, students and staff. The polytechnic also encourages its school community to download the SGSecure mobile app to receive important alerts in the event of major emergencies.
Mr Ganesh Kalyanam, Director of Republic Polytechnic’s Office of Student and Graduate Affairs said, “The exercise served as an opportunity to engage our students in safety and security matters and reminded everyone on the importance of being prepared. Such emergency preparedness exercises help bring to life important lessons for the students, including taking care of each other and responding as a team against any threat. We are heartened that our students and staff have responded well in this exercise.”
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
23 July 2019 @ 8:35 PM