Hyderabad: As part of efforts to improve emergency response capabilities, OCTOPUS teams are regularly conducting mock exercises and drills to enhance their operational preparedness.
A review meeting was held on Friday, June 5, at the OCTOPUS Commando Training Centre in Ibrahimpatnam under the leadership of Dr. Anil Kumar, DG (Operations – OCTOPUS & Greyhounds). The meeting assessed the lessons learned from mock exercises conducted so far this year.
Focus on operational preparedness
The review was aimed at improving emergency response capabilities, strengthening police preparedness, and incorporating field-level experiences into future operational planning.
Officials examined observations, feedback, and recommendations collected during debriefing sessions conducted after each mock exercise. Discussions covered response mechanisms, operational strengths and weaknesses, and challenges faced during the drills.
18 mock exercises conducted
Between January and May 2026, six OCTOPUS SWAT teams carried out 18 mock exercises at vulnerable and sensitive locations in and around Hyderabad.
Out of these, 13 exercises were conducted at highly vulnerable locations.
During the review, officials focused on strategic gaps identified during the exercises, operational challenges, coordination among teams, information-sharing systems, and command-and-control mechanisms.
They also discussed improvements required in training methods to ensure effective responses during future emergency situations.
The officials stressed the importance of rapid response, quick decision-making, better coordination, effective use of modern technology, and stronger implementation at the ground level.
The meeting was attended by Training Advisor Bharat Prasad, SP Administration M. Venkateshwarlu, Additional SP Operations CH. Raghunandan Rao, SWAT team members, and other training personnel.
