European Handbook for Drills and Exercises

European Handbook for Drills and Exercises - Exercitium / Port of Antwerp 2012

ID 27254 | 08 Ottobre 2026 / Attached

The importance of security in ports and on board ships has grown during the past decade along with the growing awareness of the dangers posed by terrorist attacks or activities. The need for this manual has arisen from this concern.

This document provides guidance on conducting maritime security exercises and drills in European ports. It begins with an introduction emphasizing the importance of practicing security procedures through regular drills and exercises, as required by international regulations.

The document then provides detailed guidance on organizing, planning and evaluating various types of exercises, including tabletop, functional and full-scale scenarios. It includes examples of exercises conducted in European ports and offers tips, templates and resources for ports to design and implement their own security training programs. The overarching goal is to help ports effectively test their security plans and ensure personnel are properly prepared to respond to threats or emergencies.
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Foreword

Ports are complex places, covering a wide area with many kilometres of quays and involving hundreds of companies and thousands of people.

There are just as many points and times when security may be compromised, either through human error or through malicious intent. We cannot afford not to be thoroughly prepared for such occasions.

We can do this only by having detailed Security Plans and by exercising these plans in realistic settings.

While theoretical knowledge is important, we have to practice the relevant skills so that we know they will work in an emergency.

It is therefore no coincidence that European Regulation 725/2004 requires under ISPS Code Part B para. 18.5 and 18.6 that drills and exercises should be held on a regular basis.

Drills have to be conducted at least every three months, testing individual elements of the Security Plan. Exercises should be carried out at least once each calendar year.

They test communication, coordination, resource availability and response of the several services involved in security.

These exercises may be full-scale or live, tabletop simulations and seminars or combined with other exercises, such as emergency response or other state authority exercises. 

This Regulation points the way for ports and port facilities to learn the necessary practical skills, to test the feasibility of their plans and to be ready for the moment that the plan actually has to be put into operation.

These security drills are extremely important because they enable us to gain live experience of the importance of networks between people collaborating across the boundaries between levels and organisations.

This manual is intended to give Security Officers of ports and port facilities a full package of drills and exercises, in all possible forms and for every imaginable purpose.

It has grown out of the long years of experience gained by the Port of Antwerp security services. It first describes the legal framework and then sketches the theory of security and safety and how it is put into practice.

This is followed by ready-made, practical scenarios, then another section describing available tools for easily setting up such scenarios, and finally a collection of background information.

This manual is a practical guide. Each port is different, and each situation demands its own particular approach. Only one thing is sure: the greatest threat to security is complacency.

Therefore, practice is essential. Be safe, never be too sure! The conclusions of this Handbook and the examples of drills and exercises provided therein are in no way binding for the European Commission or for the Commission inspectors during the Commission inspections.

This Handbook gives only examples and suggestions for carrying out drills and exercises.
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	Descrizione	Lingua	Dimensioni	Downloads
	European Handbook of Maritime Security Exercises and Drills - 2012	EN	14250 kB	1