Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service take part in training exercise in Liverpool

A large-scale exercise responding to a scenario which included a major gas explosion, collapsed building and road traffic accident was held at the Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service Training and Development Academy in Croxteth, Liverpool.

The exercise saw firefighters and members of the Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team joined by Urban search and rescue teams from Wales, Lancashire and Greater Manchester fire and rescue services.

The exercise at the Training and Development Academy near Storrington Avenue in Croxteth, ran for 12 hours. It coincided with exercises involving other Urban Search and Rescue teams in other parts of the country including Tyne, Wear and Norfolk.

Members of the North West Ambulance Service Hazard Area Response Team (HART) also took part in the exercise.

Rescuers faced an ignited gas leak and a scene of a staged crash involving numerous vehicles. Search teams, working with specially trained dogs, also searched the rubble for anyone in need of help during the scenario.

Volunteers from the British Red Cross and other volunteers acted as casualties during the exercise.

These kind of exercises only take place a few times a year and are ideal for keeping the Firefighters in practice with more difficult situations.

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