How did you arrive at the TSC as a training ground?

Some time ago, we were informed that the TSC had a railway carriage and other training objects. We started looking at possibilities for upcoming exercises and that did get us excited, so we added this location to our portfolio. What makes the TSC unique is that it is an enclosed location. This allows us to practise and prepare our exercises in anonymity, without standing out too much to the outside world.

Why was the TSC a suitable location for this particular exercise?

An external party was able to offer us practice locations close to the campus. To practice there, we needed a location from which we could prepare and plan and where our people had their base. At the campus, among other things, we had access to our own building with several classrooms, large briefing room, parking spaces, sanitary facilities and the catering was top-notch. The people at TSC did a great job of thinking through options.

What were the main challenges in planning and implementing the exercise at the TSC exercise site, and what solutions were found to overcome these challenges?

Availability is, of course, most essential. We knew that fire drills would take place and we could move between them just fine. A real must was that we had our own car park and classrooms where the teams could make their own schedules and feed back to the command vehicles. That we could land and stall the helicopters away on ‘own property’, allowing them to quickly join the command command vehicle.

How has continued cooperation with the TSC been?

It has been very pleasant working with the TSC. I think this is partly because both parties come from the uniformed/assistance sector. As a result, you speak the same language and understand each other quickly. In this case, we twice had a large group) who had to stay overnight in the neighbourhood. This was well anticipated and thought through, which is just super. Especially at the short notice in which this had to be realised. Ad hoc action had to be taken and TSC was flexible in that respect.