'You can run, hide or fight': Sydney retail staff to get 'terror training'
Sydney retailers have been urged to make sure their staff are trained to deal with the moment an armed terrorist starts shooting their store.
Pitt Street’s iconic Queen Victoria Building has taken the lead, offering training to shop owners because it’s already happened there.
Footage of a confronting training exercise being carried out by police in Las Vegas, was shared with 7 News.
Staff of the QVB will now learn how to deal with the exact same scenario.
In a memo to retailers, staff were given the option of a morning or afternoon session, in handling active shooter and explosive device situations.
Staff will be taught to react to a variety of scenarios.
It’s heavy subject matter, but the move has been welcomed by staff and storeowners.
“I think it’s a great idea, because this is a very famous landmark and you see a lot of tourists coming through here,” Barbara Diakis of Espresso On York said.
Security expert Sallie Stone told 7 News in an active shooter situation staff only had three options: Run, hide or fight.
"With active shooter situations you really have only three options, you can run, you can hide, you can fight and when and how to implement any one of those solutions,” she said.
Other employees in Sydney shopping centres could also be given similar training.
In the UK one million retail employees have undergone terror training in 2016.
The attacks in France prompted many shopping centres and businesses around the world to take action.
"Two years ago we wouldn't have thought that this would ever be necessary, in many ways the Lindt Cafe siege was a wake up moment for us,” terrorism expert Greg Barton said.
On Wednesday experts from across the world met in Indonesia to discuss ways of choking terrorism funding.
Attorney General George Brandis said close collaboration was essential if the world was going to beat terrorism.
With Australia's official terrorism threat at 'probable', experts say it's more important than ever to be prepared.
