1 June 2022 | UNDSS Comms
On 13 May 2022, UNDSS in Kenya conducted a mass casualty incident (MCI) drill within the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON). The exercise aimed at strengthening emergency preparedness among different units and refreshing UN personnel’s skills on emergency protocols. It involved a fire drill and a simulation of an active shooter incident within the UN headquarters facility. “Through this exercise, we were able to bring our different security units at play. Physical security, fire unit, tactical response team, and special investigation unit to harmonize our internal response, communication, and coordination,” explained Mr. Prince Bruce, the Deputy Chief, Security, and Safety Services.
Different external partners participated in the drill in various capacities. The Kenya Police Service and representatives from different hospitals came in as exercise observers. Additionally, the Kenya Red Cross Society, St. Johns Ambulance, and Africa Air Rescue responded as emergency medical providers.
“Our regular engagements with medical service providers in the country, and especially in activities around emergency preparedness, ensures we have adequate knowledge of our combined response capabilities and improves our capacity for response in the event of emergency,” noted Dr. James Mbai, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, UN Joint Medical Services.
The drill was preceded by crisis management training (CMT) that brought together members of the crisis management team, security management team, and the security cell. The four-day programme oriented participants on general elections preparedness, UNON’s capabilities and capacity, and crisis management for senior managers. UNON’s Designated Official (DO), Mrs. Zainab Hawa Bangura, led a team of different agencies, funds and programmes who attended the training. “UNDSS will continuously engage with partners and learn from previous experiences to ensure that we are always prepared to effectively and timely respond to emergencies,” remarked Mr. Peter Marshall, the Principal Security Adviser for Kenya and Eritrea.