Exercise Heartbeat 2024 – Counter-Terrorism Exercise At One Punggol

A counter-terrorism and emergency preparedness exercise codenamed "Exercise Heartbeat" was held at One Punggol on 23 August 2024, in conjunction with the inaugural Global Community Policing Conference 2024 (GCPC 2024). The exercise was organised by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and supported by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) in close collaboration with One Punggol. Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs & Ministry of National Development, graced the event as the Guest-of-Honour.

"Exercise Heartbeat" is one of the collaborations between the Home Team and the community to enhance community preparedness in dealing with a terror attack under the SGSecure movement. The exercise held at One Punggol serves as a timely and solemn reminder in the wake of terror attacks happening around the world. It is important for stakeholders and building owners to constantly review their security measures, validate their contingency protocols and enhance their emergency preparedness against terror attacks. Additionally, stakeholders should ensure that there are immediate consequence management and business continuity plans, regularly conduct exercises and drills to ensure staff and tenants are familiar with the plans, and review decision matrixes on the activations of these plans.

Adopting an informative "show and tell" format, this year's exercise involved a simulated terror attack comprising multiple scenarios including a hostile vehicle attack, armed terrorists and a rescue operation via the neutralisation of an Improvised Explosive Device (IED). The exercise showcased the SPF and our stakeholders' capabilities in responding to terror attacks, while concurrently creating an immersive experience for observers through the use of pyrotechnics, firing of blanks and uniformed officers in ballistic protection gear. In the lead-up to the exercise, the Police conducted ground coordination exercises and a table-top exercise with One Punggol entities at the Punggol Regional Library. These exercises focused on SGSecure contingency protocols for building owners, such as threat detection, communication with building occupants, coordination with the Police, and the use of a decision matrix to determine whether to lock down the building and shelter in place, or to evacuate the building as necessary.

Close to 200 foreign and local representatives from police forces around the world, local government agencies, industry leaders, and local stakeholders observed the exercise. This was the first time that "Exercise Heartbeat" was conducted in an integrated hub and witnessed by foreign police officers. The exercise reinforced the close partnerships with partner agencies and local stakeholders in enhancing the community's emergency preparedness.

Assoc Prof Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs & Ministry of National Development said, "Exercise Heartbeat is one of the many ways that the Home Team partners with the community to enhance community preparedness in dealing with a terror attack. Today, as you can see, we have recreated a realistic scenario to ensure that our Home Team first responders and stakeholders are able to test their close coordination during a joint emergency response to a simulated terrorist attack. We're very pleased to have worked with SAF and community partners like One Punggol to conduct this Exercise successfully. I would like to encourage each of us to play our part in the fight against terrorism - whether it is by staying alert or equipping yourself with emergency preparedness skills, or just building relations with each other during peacetime, to build up our resilience as a community."

Every individual in the community plays a key role in identifying risks and exercising vigilance in workplaces, neighbourhoods and common spaces where we live, work and play. Their immediate actions will be crucial as the impact of a terror attack extends beyond the point of attack, and would help save lives, prevent catastrophic outcomes, and help our nation recover quickly from the crisis. For more information, please refer to www.sgsecure.gov.sg.

MOS Faishal observing "Exercise Heartbeat" with AC Xie Xingmao, Commander, Ang Mo Kio Police Division, and representatives from foreign police forces ▼

Simulation of a terror attack ▼

Community stakeholders performing "Run, Hide, Tell" ▼

SPF officers neutralising the attack ▼