Situational Prevention of Attacks Through Staff Awareness and Training: the Case of Terrorist Threats to Rail Transport

• In Event: EXTR3 Threat landscape and counter-terrorism2

Abstract

In the past, railways and railway stations have repeatedly been the target of terrorist attacks (for example the attacks in Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005). Compared to airports and air traffic, railway stations and trains are characterised by their open and difficult-to-control nature.
It is therefore all the more important that employees in trains and stations (railway staff, catering teams, retailers, etc.) are trained to recognise and deal with dangerous situations.
Research findings from the European Commission-funded IMPRESS project, based on a survey and a literature review, show that these groups have a particular need for training in the areas of security awareness, recognising suspicious objects / persons, dealing with suspicious persons / objects, dealing with bomb threats and dealing with armed attacks (including attacks using CBRN material as a weapon).
As part of the project, German Police University developed a total of 6 training modules in the aforementioned areas. The training modules are adapted to the different target groups and are taught using multi-method approaches (lectures, e-learning, brochures, serious games, field exercises, etc.). The presentation gives a brief overview of the training programmes, their main topics and instructional methods.

Authors

• Charlotte Niesse, German Police University

• Andreas Arnold, German Police University

• Thomas Görgen, Deutsche Hochschule der Polizei/German Police University