SIA Door Counter-Terrorism — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the 'ACT' acronym stand for in the UK's counter-terrorism awareness programme?
- Active Counter Terrorism
- Action Counters Terrorism (Correct answer)
- Armed Counter Threat
- Awareness Creates Tactics
Correct answer: Action Counters Terrorism
ACT stands for 'Action Counters Terrorism'. It is a public awareness campaign encouraging everyone to report suspicious activity and play their part in keeping the UK safe.
Question 2: What should a door supervisor do if they see suspicious behaviour that could be terrorism-related?
- Confront the person directly
- Report it to the Anti-Terrorist Hotline (0800 789 321) or call 999 in an emergency (Correct answer)
- Post about it on social media
- Ignore it — it's probably nothing
Correct answer: Report it to the Anti-Terrorist Hotline (0800 789 321) or call 999 in an emergency
Suspicious behaviour should be reported to the Anti-Terrorist Hotline (0800 789 321) for non-emergencies or 999 if there is an immediate threat. Never confront a suspected terrorist — report and let the police handle it.
Question 3: What does the 'RUN, HIDE, TELL' advice mean during a firearms or weapons attack?
- Run towards the attacker, Hide your belongings, Tell your friends
- Run to a safe place, Hide and barricade yourself, Tell the police by calling 999 (Correct answer)
- Run the venue, Hide the exits, Tell customers to stay
- Run laps, Hide evidence, Tell nobody
Correct answer: Run to a safe place, Hide and barricade yourself, Tell the police by calling 999
RUN: escape if possible, insist others go with you. HIDE: if you can't run, find cover, barricade doors, be quiet. TELL: call 999 when safe to do so, give location, number of attackers, descriptions.
Question 4: What is 'hostile reconnaissance' in the context of counter-terrorism?
- A type of military exercise
- Information gathering by potential attackers to plan an attack — observing targets, security, and routines (Correct answer)
- A police surveillance operation
- A venue security audit
Correct answer: Information gathering by potential attackers to plan an attack — observing targets, security, and routines
Hostile reconnaissance is the process by which terrorists gather information about potential targets — studying security arrangements, entry/exit points, busy times, and potential weaknesses to plan an attack.
Question 5: What are the signs of hostile reconnaissance that a door supervisor should watch for?
- Someone taking selfies
- Someone photographing security measures, timing patrols, testing security reactions, making notes about exits, or returning repeatedly (Correct answer)
- Someone asking where the toilets are
- Someone waiting for a taxi
Correct answer: Someone photographing security measures, timing patrols, testing security reactions, making notes about exits, or returning repeatedly
Signs include: photographing or filming security features (cameras, barriers, entry points), timing security patrols, testing security reactions, making detailed notes, repeated visits with no apparent purpose, and unusual interest in security procedures.
Question 6: What is the 'Protect Duty' (Martyn's Law) in the UK?
- A law protecting door supervisors from prosecution
- Legislation requiring venues and public spaces to prepare for and protect the public from terrorist attacks (Correct answer)
- A military code of conduct
- A data protection regulation
Correct answer: Legislation requiring venues and public spaces to prepare for and protect the public from terrorist attacks
The Protect Duty (known as Martyn's Law, named after Martyn Hett who died in the Manchester Arena attack) requires publicly accessible locations to take proportionate steps to prepare for and protect the public from terrorist attacks.
SIA Door Counter-Terrorism
What does the 'ACT' acronym stand for in the UK's counter-terrorism awareness programme?