CALGARY- A sniper, the bomb squad and hostages. Not sights you normally see at city hall, but that was the scene on Wednesday night, as part of an elaborate security training exercise.
The operation involved the city’s corporate security team, Calgary Police and EMS, and shut down the entire municipal complex from 7 p.m. Wednesday until 6 a.m. on Thursday.
Their scenario involved an armed hostage taking, and was a way to train first responders for a worst case scenario.
“It’s exercises like this that help us ensure that if and when a real emergency takes place, we have optimal response,” explains Owen Key, from City of Calgary corporate security.
Police add it was helpful for emergency crews to be able to use the municipal building for training.
90 per cent of police training is done using police facilities, but in the past they have also used facilities like the airport, or schools.
No city employees were allowed in the municipal building until the exercise wrapped up.
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