Pay attention: The police will hold a large exercise in Aalborg

On Wednesday the 5. of March Nordjylland Police, together with Nordjylland Emergency Services, the Danish Emergency Management Agency (Nordjylland), and Region Nordjylland, will hold a large-scale emergency exercise, also called Exercise Tordenskjold, in central Aalborg.

There will be some traffic disruptions due to the exercise.

This is announced by Nordjylland Police in a press release.

Over 900 extras present

The purpose of the exercise is to train cross-disciplinary leadership and coordination, as well as to strengthen cooperation between the participating sectors during a large incident.

The authorities will also train participants in life-saving and handling major real-life accidents.

In addition, Aalborg Congress and Culture Center (AKKC), which is hosting the exercise, will have the opportunity to train and test their own emergency response plans.

Approximately 900 extras will be present during the exercise – meaning it will be a large-scale event and highly visible in the public space while it takes place.

Still secret

The scenario that will unfold on Wednesday, March 5th, is still secret.

The confidentiality is necessary to ensure that participants gain the most learning from the exercise, but the overall exercise coordinator, Police Inspector Henrik Skals, assures:

“We will push each authority’s responsibilities within their own areas, while also strengthening and challenging our cross-functional cooperation. This gives us a valuable opportunity to fine-tune our skills and enhance collaboration across different sectors.”

It will affect traffic and parking conditions throughout the day.

The exercise will take place between 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM at Aalborg Congress and Culture Center (AKKC), and traffic disruptions may occur on Vesterbro and around Europa Plads during the exercise – including in the hours before and after the exercise.

There may also be disruptions in Kildeparken, where certain areas might be blocked off.

The parking area on both sides of Scandic Hotel will be closed off starting at 6:30 AM on March 5th.

“This means that no one will be able to park there until around 6:00 PM in the evening. However, people who need to leave the area will be able to do so throughout the day,” says Police Inspector Henrik Skals, who understands that this may be inconvenient for residents and drivers in the area. However, the exercise management hopes for the public’s understanding of these temporary inconveniences.

“It is essential for us to carry out these larger exercises occasionally so that we can keep our skills sharp. We have a duty to be prepared if one day it becomes serious,” points out Police Inspector Henrik Skals.

There may be gunshots heard in Aalborg.

A couple of hours before and after the exercise, there will also be visible activity from the participating authorities in the area. There will be numerous uniformed vehicles and personnel present from the police, fire department, and ambulance services, and you may also hear gunshots being fired.

Citizens should not be concerned if they hear these sounds.

Supplementary exercise activities in Northern Jutland

In addition to this exercise in central Aalborg on March 5th, 2025, the police will carry out other exercise activities and training from Monday to Thursday in week 10, in collaboration with local and national emergency services, as well as units from the Armed Forces.

These supplementary activities will take place in Frederikshavn, Aalborg, Skagen, and Læsø.

Helicopters may be used for transport or deployment of exercise participants, and drones may also be utilized. There may also be occasional emergency vehicle responses.

Furthermore, there will be police officers, both in civilian clothing and uniforms, who may be carrying visible weapons – particularly around the exercise areas.

All participants will be able to make their presence known if necessary. During these exercise activities, blank ammunition may also be fired, and in some cases, controlled explosions may take place.

The necessary agreements have been made with the respective landowners, and where possible, neighbors close to the exercise sites have been informed about the activities.