MOCK GAS EXPLOSION STAGED TO TEST EMERGENCY RESPONSE A gas explosion was simulated in Birmingham city centre to test the emergency response to a major incident. The emergency exercise took place on Sunday, May 13 at the Aston University Campus and was designed to test both the activation of individual agency plans and the way in which they worked together to co-ordinate and manage the response. Agencies involved in the exercise included West Midlands Fire Service, West Midlands Ambulance Service, West Midlands Police, Birmingham City Council, six hospitals across the Birmingham area and the Military. The scenario facing the emergency crews sent to the scene was a gas explosion at the Student’s Guild during a graduation event, leading to a serious fire, partial collapse of some areas of the building and around 150 casualties ranging from walking wounded to fatalities. Exercise Director Paul Wattling from West Midlands Fire Service, said: “The exercise went very well, we are very pleased. The job now is for all the agencies involved to review the day and then get back together to talk about what went well, what could be improved and the lessons that can be learnt. That process is vital in ensuring that our response to emergency situations is as effective as it can be. I would like to thank everyone who took part in the exercise and helped make it a success, including the emergency service crews, the staff from all of the agencies involved, and especially the Red Cross volunteers who acted as casualties, as this greatly contributed to the realism of the event.” Resources used during the emergency response included a new mobile multi-agency command centre supplied by the Military, 15 fire engines and support crews, including Urban Search and Rescue experts and a mobile laboratory for identifying chemicals, paramedics, police officers and a fleet of ambulances. Around 300 people were involved in the exercise in total. PC Keith James, in charge of West Midlands Police’s involvement in the exercise, said: “Events like these are crucial in testing how all the various agencies involved in a major incident work together. West Midlands Police rely on other partners to play a vital role in dealing with any emergency situation. Regular discussions with our partners, through groups such as the West Midlands Conurbation Resilience Forum (WMCRF), help us understand each other’s needs and how we can work together better. This preparation means that when we have an emergency situation we pull together to focus on the most important thing: saving lives.” Although led by West Midlands Fire Service, the exercise was organised in conjunction with the WMCRF, which brings together all the agencies that would be involved in responding to a major incident, with the aim of enhancing how the emergency planning and response organisations in the Conurbation work together.

Posted on Monday, May 14th, 2007 at 11:02 am and filed under Website, Press Release.

This page was written by Secretariat. Any comments and thoughts represented above are solely representative of Secretariat and not necessarily of the West Midlands Conurbation Resilience Forum as a whole.