Police and firefighters were rehearsing attack scenarios at the main train station

Counter-terrorism training

Gunfire and screams at the main train station

A massive police exercise is taking place at Cologne Central Station in the evening. Officials and firefighters train there how to act in the event of an armed attack.

A massive emergency drill has been underway at Cologne Central Station since around 11 p.m. Some 80 emergency services are expected to train there until four in the morning on how to act in the event of an armed attack on people.

This exercise scenario depicts an attack: gunmen open fire on uninvolved passers-by. Federal police call such situations “Lebel” – short for life-threatening operational situations. To create realistic conditions, crashing and screaming sounds were used. According to an authority spokesman, the sounds were also heard outside the building.

Certain areas of the station are closed to the public from around 10 p.m. A privacy wall encloses the workout area. Information signs provide information about ongoing maneuvers. The Federal Police has provided a telephone number for citizen inquiries: 02241-238 77 77.

20 officers from the federal police, 30 from the state police and 30 firefighters were involved. The Federal Police took over management. Use of special units such as GSG9 is avoided. The focus is on the question of how the first patrol car at the crime scene reacted. These officers must make split-second decisions: evacuate the injured, locate the attacker, and control the situation. In addition, it is tested whether coordination between organizations runs smoothly and who is in command at what time.