MFS, respond, assist police, Bartels Road, Adelaide map one one eight lima eleven tango golf one eight two, Exercise Mercury, priority two, multiple shootings, number of deceased, rendezvous point two hundred metres East on Bartels Road, SAAS patient removal, Adelaide Two Zero One and Two Zero Three
09:46 Tuesday morning, a nightmarish call went out on the SAGRN. The two fire units rolled to Rymill Park, where police and ambulance officers had already been in attendance for the past half an hour. By 10:00, all three emergency services had forward command posts established on Bartels Road, just off the Eastern parklands. Injured, dead, armed, uniformed, running, negotiating, coordinating, the area swarmed with people. The situation, codenamed Mercury, was declared a full-blown terrorist attack.
11:00, and the situation had moved through the middle of the CBD, to Mile End on the Western outskirts. A mobile drug lab were called as matters continued to escalate. They identified explosive materials, confirming grave suspicions. Hazmat specialists waited to contain the materials, but there was little they could do until suspects had been coerced into handing them over. As of 11:13, security was declared high for all MFS resources in the state. 11:22, a dedicated talkgroup on the GRN was assigned to the incident. 13:00, police were still attempting negotiations with the terrorists, and making very little progress. Explosives were involved, and they could not afford to try to approach. Firearms were unaccounted for, the location of some unknown.
A bus was hijacked, with fifteen hostages held on board. By 15:00, 50% of all emergency vehicles servicing the Adelaide area were in use at the scene. Carefully, officials released the bus, and let the terrorists drive the vehicle, packed with explosives, to the Islington railway yards. Meanwhile, available fire and EMS units were still attending everyday callouts, suffering a significantly increased load on every staff member and vehicle due to the reduced numbers. Still, everyone kept a cool head. Brooklyn Park's dispatcher even checked up on one if its crew's brand new baby. Forward command posts were relocated again, to the Regency Park SES depot, as close as they dared get to the escalating hostage situation at the railway yards.
Should they attempt to enter the bus, or was it about to just blow up on them? It was a code grey. 17:00, all but one suspect was secured, escaping from the bus, but taking no hostages. All SAAS and MFS resources had to be held at forward control until discussions with the SAPOL forward commander could be completed. Eventually they decided to go in. At 17:21, the area was declared safe, and sighs of relief were breathed as the code green was called in.
Debriefing completed, 24-08-10 @ 22:24:12 -
MFS: Senior Group Officer DO Goreham advises that all MFS resources now released from Exercise Mercury 10, and our involvement is completed
I kind of wish someone had of told me beforehand, but apparently SAPOL did letterbox drop over 10,000 residents who may have been affected. Terrorism Exercise Mercury 10 was the first inter-organisation training exercise of its kind since 2005. The purpose was to ensure that everyone could be ready in the event of a real threat. And surely, it is only a matter of time before just such a real threat occurs.
Adelaide, so I herd u liek being ready for terrorist attacks?