The situation: A man holding a gun to his partner¡¯s head. The response: Armed Offenders Squad, Air Support Unit and the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).
That was the scenario for the annual T¨¡maki Makaurau AOS training camp held at the end of November.
While the exercise was artificial it was treated like the real deal, with officers boarding helicopters in Whangapar¨¡oa and deploying to Wainui ¨C north of Auckland.
There, teams landed and assembled and dealt with the situation as it unfolded, saving the victim of the family harm incident.
A key component of the training was to ensure the squad knew how to safely, efficiently and effectively board and disembark from helicopters while fully kitted up.
¡°These exercises are invaluable for AOS,¡± says T¨¡maki Makaurau Armed Offender Squad Commander, Inspector David Hines.
¡°AOS members were highly professional and engaged during this drill and everyone worked well with the Air Support Unit and our partners in the NZDF.
¡°Ideally, these scenarios don¡¯t become real life, but colleagues and the public can be reassured that we¡¯re prepared and adaptable.¡±