Gardai have carried out a critical incident exercise involving a hostage situation and fatal road crash to test how the force deals with unexpected situations.
Gardai released footage of the training exercises in Co Louth, where a Garda Armed Support Unit and trained negotiator secured the release of a hostage, and Co Monaghan, where multiple casualties were treated following a serious collision between a bus and a chemical or oil tanker.
The exercises involved teams and observers from gardai, the National Ambulance Service, Irish Water, the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Civil Defence, Defence Forces and Revenue Customs Officers.
It also aimed to test cross-border communication between emergency services.
During the Louth exercise, staff from Louth County Council discovered trespassers discharging contents from a tanker into the River Fane at Newtownfane.
Staff alerted the gardai but were taken hostage by two of the men.
The second scenario saw a man leave the site in another tanker, only to be involved in a major collision with a bus in Co Monaghan that resulted in multiple injuries and deaths.
Speaking at the event in Co Louth, Garda Superintendant Fergus Treanor stressed the importance of carrying out simulations, saying: "It is all about communication and how well the various agencies work together and making sure who takes control at various stages to ensure the best outcome can be achieved."
