PUNE: The Pune Airport, in coordination with the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and other stakeholder agencies, conducted the annual Bomb Threat Mock Exercise under the Bomb Threat Contingency Plan (BTCP) to assess emergency preparedness and strengthen inter-agency coordination in responding to bomb threat situations.The exercise commenced with a Tabletop Exercise at 11am in the conference hall of the AAI Administrative Building. The session covered the simulated threat scenarios, roles and responsibilities of participating agencies, and established communication protocols.Subsequently, at 11.30am a mock drill began. As per the simulated scenario, an unidentified person informed the IndiGo Manager, Pune, about an unattended bag suspected to contain a dummy Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in the check-in area.The IndiGo manager immediately informed the CISF Security Operational Control Room, which promptly alerted the Quick Reaction Team (QRT) and notified the concerned duty posts.Passengers, staff, and concessionaires in the affected area were safely evacuated to the designated location.As part of the exercise, the suspect bag was covered with a Blast Inhibitor, and the area was cordoned off.The bag was subsequently examined through a series of security checks involving visual inspection, the dog squad, Explosive Vapour Detector (EVD), re-verification by the dog squad, Non-Linear Junction Detector (NLJD), Electronic Stethoscope, and Handheld Real Time Viewing System (RTVS).Following the prescribed procedure, the simulated presence of an IED was confirmed, a Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) meeting was convened, and a Specific Threat was declared.Thereafter, the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) team handled the suspect bag using a Telescopic Manipulator and placed it in the Suspect Luggage Containment Vessel (SLCV).Following the successful completion of the simulated Render Safe Procedure (RSP), the threat bag was moved to the designated Safe Disposal Area (SDA)/Cooling Pit for further action.In addition to the terminal building exercise, a dummy Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was also placed in the cargo area near India Post as part of the simulated threat scenario.The dummy IED was successfully detected by the State Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) team, demonstrating its preparedness and response capability in addressing security threats in the airport cargo area.The exercise aimed to evaluate the operational preparedness of participating agencies, ensure clarity regarding their respective roles and responsibilities, and assess the effectiveness of inter-agency coordination and communication during simulated bomb threat situations across the airport premises.Representatives from the CISF, Indian Air Force, Pune Police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire Services, Customs, Immigration, Health Authorities, airlines, and other airport stakeholders participated in the exercise.“Such mock exercises are an integral part of airport emergency preparedness and play a vital role in enhancing operational readiness, strengthening coordination, and ensuring an effective and coordinated response to security contingencies,” Pune airport director Santosh Dhoke said.
