Secret M96 motorway stages ‘mass casualty’ crash to test M5 major …
A scene of devastation was recreated on a ‘hidden’ motorway in Gloucestershire to put emergency services to the test. The
at the National Fire Service College in the Cotswolds was turned into a mass casualty event involving 17 vehicles and 28 casualties.
The simulation in Moreton-in-Marsh was designed to be as realistic as possible and was designed to replicate a major incident on the M5. Police, fire and the ambulance service were all involved.
The aim of the exercise on Sunday (October 22) was to test multiple vehicle collision procedures at a large-scale incident.[2] It also tested joint command and control systems as well as multi-agency working and the use of support appliances.
Deputy Chief Fire Officer Nathaniel Hooton said: “The exercise simulated the response to a major incident on the M5, which posed a ‘significant risk’. “The simulation was as realistic as we could make it and will help ensure that all those involved are as prepared and as confident as they can be for any future large scale emergencies, so thank you to our staff, volunteers and partners who made this possible.”
“We practise and train intensively to ensure that when we are needed, we can respond appropriately. This simulation gives us an opportunity in a realistic situation, with our partners, to ensure that if we did ever have a major incident like this, we could respond in the right way to save life, protect property, render humanitarian services and protect the environment.”
The secret M96 motorway
The motorway crash was staged by Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service[5], Gloucestershire police[6], South West Ambulance Service Trust and Local Resilience Forum. Fire engines and crew from Moreton-in-Marsh, Chipping Campden, Winchcombe, Tewkesbury, Cheltenham West and East, Gloucester North, Cirencester, Nailsworth and Coleford attended along with two fire engines and crews from the Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. Casualty Union, Severn Area Rescue Association (SARA) and British Red Cross also supported the exercise
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References
- ^ M96 (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ large-scale incident. (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ USAF B-1B bombers ‘intercepted’ by Russian SU-27 fighter jet on Baltic mission out of RAF Fairford (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Jeremy Clarkson makes jibe at Holly Willoughby’s unknown ITV This Morning replacement (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Gloucestershire police (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ iPhone (apps.apple.com)
- ^ Android (play.google.com)