#TeamHaringey6 Security Searches Unit - Conducted by Sport & UPS students

#TeamHaringey6 Level 1 Sport and Public Services students completed a practical scenario as part of their Security Searches unit. The exercise was planned and delivered by Kev, our highly skilled Learner Support Assistant who has previously served in the Royal Navy and was able to contribute his real experience of working for Uniformed Protective Services.

Our students have already learnt about rules and procedures of people and room searches and after successfully demonstrating their practical and interpersonal skills in the classroom, they were tested in an unfamiliar setting. We used college courtyard as a security risk site with threats including hidden weapons, explosives and terrorists.

Learners were briefed and assigned the roles as the bomb disposal squad, person security search officers and search team. Each team has a different task; the search team formed a line to search for the potential risks, when spotted a weapon, explosive materials or a suspicious person, they had to stop and call the appropriate team to handle the threat. Bomb disposal squad was able to dispose the grenades safely, while security officers carried oud person search to discover more concealed weapons, including the bladed articles. 

Students successfully retrieved 3 grenades and 6 knifes from the premises as well as 2 further knifes found on the persons searched and a remote control that could be used to activate an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). Unfortunately, one of the suspects failed to reveal where the IED was hidden and despite further thorough searches it still wasn't found. The suspect was arrested and would be further interviewed at the police station to establish any ongoing risks for the public safety.

In this activity, learners were able to fully demonstrate their practical skills and considerations such as most common hiding places or collecting and storing the evidence safely. But beyond that it was a great test for their communication skills and teamwork. It turned out the hardest part was to form a straight line to scan the area thoroughly. On the other hand, they excelled in communication between different teams and demonstrated their ability to carry out practical searches in a safe and legal manner.

Learners were very enthusiastic about this activity and after debriefing and evaluating their strengths and weaknesses, decided to repeat the exercise next term to demonstrate their full potential. Security Searches unit is fully practical module and assessed by observation of a simulated search, therefore weekly practical sessions are crucial.

Learners were very critical of themselves: "It was hard to remain professional as it was so much fun, but we did it", "I have learnt that I have to be responsible for my own actions as it can impact on the whole team".

*No actual terrorists, weapons, knifes, grenades and IEDs were used during that exercise, and no one was put at risk or injured. We used objects made of plastic, as it could be seen on the pictures.

#H6Experience #MoreThanACollege 

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