SIA Door Terrorism Awareness (UK) 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does the acronym 'ACT' stand for in the context of UK counter-terrorism for security staff?
- Action Counters Terrorism (Correct answer)
- Alert, Contain, Tell
- Awareness, Communicate, Take action
- Armed Counter Terrorism
Correct answer: Action Counters Terrorism
ACT (Action Counters Terrorism) is the UK government campaign that provides security staff and the public with tools and training to help prevent and respond to terrorist incidents.
Question 2: Which UK government counter-terrorism strategy uses the four strands of Prevent, Pursue, Protect and Prepare?
- CONTEST (Correct answer)
- PREVENT
- COBRA
- JTAC
Correct answer: CONTEST
CONTEST is the UK's counter-terrorism strategy built on four workstreams: Prevent (stop radicalisation), Pursue (disrupt plots), Protect (harden targets) and Prepare (respond to attacks).
Question 3: What is the recommended public response to a firearms or weapons attack, as promoted in the UK?
- Run, Hide, Tell (Correct answer)
- Stop, Drop, Roll
- Stay, Shelter, Signal
- Lock, Barricade, Evacuate
Correct answer: Run, Hide, Tell
The UK government's Run Hide Tell guidance advises people to run if safe, hide if unable to run and tell police as soon as possible during a firearms or weapons attack.
Question 4: What should a door supervisor do if they find an unattended bag or suspicious item?
- Do not touch it; clear the area and call police using the HOT protocol (Correct answer)
- Pick it up and move it to a safe place
- Open it to check the contents
- Continue normal duties unless it is clearly dangerous
Correct answer: Do not touch it; clear the area and call police using the HOT protocol
The HOT protocol (Has it been hidden? Is it obviously suspicious? Is it typical of its surroundings?) guides assessment; the item should not be touched and police should be called.
Question 5: What does the 'HOT' protocol stand for in suspicious item assessment?
- Hidden, Obviously suspicious, Typical of surroundings (Correct answer)
- Hazardous, Open, Tested
- Hostile, Obvious, Terrorist
- Handle, Observe, Tell
Correct answer: Hidden, Obviously suspicious, Typical of surroundings
HOT stands for Has it been hidden or left deliberately? Is it Obviously suspicious? Is it Typical — i.e. does it look out of place? This guides decisions on suspicious items.
Question 6: What is meant by 'hostile reconnaissance' and why should door supervisors be alert to it?
- Surveillance conducted by attackers to plan a future attack; recognising it can prevent attacks (Correct answer)
- Aggressive behaviour by a known offender outside the venue
- A police technique for monitoring suspects
- CCTV monitoring of the venue exterior
Correct answer: Surveillance conducted by attackers to plan a future attack; recognising it can prevent attacks
Hostile reconnaissance involves terrorists or criminals observing a target to gather information for planning; door supervisors should report unusual or repeated surveillance activity to police.
SIA Door Terrorism Awareness (UK) 1
What does the acronym 'ACT' stand for in the context of UK counter-terrorism for security staff?