Four of our Year 12 Performing Arts students gave up their own time to volunteer as role players in an Emergency Services joint training exercise called Operation Lawman at St Johns Shopping Precinct in Liverpool City Centre.
This was a major training exercise and Merseyside Police Officers from the Tactical Firearms Unit and Matrix Department worked alongside officers from Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service and North West Regional Ambulance Service to deal with a mock terrorist incident.
A professional acting company had been commissioned to provide key role players, with make-up artists making some very realistic looking casualties, however the exercise wouldn’t have been possible without volunteers giving up their time to act as ordinary members of the public caught up in the incident. The majority of these other members of public were made up of retired police officers and those working with outside agencies associated with the police so it was great to have some young people involved in the form of our sixth-formers.
There was quite a bit of waiting around as well as two quite in depth briefings and our students conducted themselves superbly throughout. They showed a very mature attitude and were well mannered and respectful of their surroundings and of the other volunteers at all times. Being brilliant Performing Arts students they also threw themselves completely into the role playing when the scenario came our way.
Thanks to all students involved.