Scaling a wall, tackling a gunman... all part of training for elite Emergency Response Teams

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The Straits Times reporter Ng Huiwen joins officers from the Police Emergency Response Team for their training session.

SINGAPORE - They scale a 1.5m-high wall, hoist themselves up a 3m-tall rope and get up from a prone position to dash 50m at the blow of a whistle.

They are then thrown into a series of rapidly developing terrorist scenarios, and have to contain the threats quickly.

This is just a small part of what elite officers from the police's Emergency Response Teams (ERT) are put through every 10 weeks.

Last Friday (Nov 17), The Straits Times had the rare chance to train alongside the officers during their session.

About 30 officers gathered at 9am at an abandoned school building along Upper Thomson Road, which is now used as an urban training facility.

After a quick round of exercises to hone their agility, speed and reaction, they took turns to run through scenario-based drills.

These include tackling a armed gunman who was holding four people hostage in an empty classroom on the second floor.

Gunshots rang out from an adjacent building, as other officers did shooting exercises.

Straits Times journalist Ng Huiwen pulling herself up a rope, scaling a 1.5m-high wall (below), and going through a scenario-based drill - a simulated gunman attack (right) - with officers from the police's elite Emergency Response Team moving in to
Straits Times journalist Ng Huiwen going through a scenario-based drill - a simulated gunman attack (above) - with officers from the police's elite Emergency Response Team moving in to rescue victims. ST PHOTOS: LIM YAOHUI

Whether in training or in the field, ERT officers have to don about 17kg of gear, including bullet-resistant helmets and vests. They are also armed with HK-MP 5 submachine guns, which boasts a greater range and more ammunition.

It was first announced in April 2016 that a dedicated fast-response police unit - the ERT - will be set up to form the first wave of responders to a terror attack on Singapore shores.

Straits Times journalist Ng Huiwen pulling herself up a rope, scaling a 1.5m-high wall (below), and going through a scenario-based drill - a simulated gunman attack (right) - with officers from the police's elite Emergency Response Team moving in to
Straits Times journalist Ng Huiwen pulling herself up a rope. ST PHOTO: T. KUMAR

The unit's officers were handpicked from the six major land divisions, and equipped with tactical and counter-assault skills.

The first batch of ERT officers were commissioned in June 2016 and have since hit the ground running. They regularly train with officers from the Special Operations Command to ensure they are in tip-top shape.

Said assistant superintendent of police (ASP) Fionie Chan, 34: "The threat is real... And we have to be fully equipped to deal with all kinds of attacks."

ASP Fionie Chan, one of only a few female ERT officers, leads a team of four to five officers in high-visibility patrols in the Central Business District and surrounding areas.
Straits Times journalist Ng Huiwen scaling a 1.5m-high wall. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI

ASP Chan, a team leader of the Central Police Division ERT, leads a team of four to five officers in high visibility patrols in the Central Business District and the surrounding areas.

They are on their feet with their heavy gear for most of their 12-hour shift, but "we push each other on, because we know that patrols are a deterrent as well", she said.

The patrols also allows them to familiarise themselves with the terrain, she added.

While female ERT officers are a minority, with only one or two in each division, ASP Chan said there are "no shortcuts or concessions" for them.

Straits Times journalist Ng Huiwen pulling herself up a rope, scaling a 1.5m-high wall (below), and going through a scenario-based drill - a simulated gunman attack (right) - with officers from the police's elite Emergency Response Team moving in to
ASP Fionie Chan, one of only a few female ERT officers, leads a team of four to five officers in high-visibility patrols in the Central Business District and surrounding areas. PHOTO: DIOS VINCOY FOR THE STRAITS TIMES

On her own initiative, she has also gathered her team to undergo exercise drills and runs, or to plan tactical strategies on their days off.

She said: "When we train hard, we fight easy."

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