Firefighters Take Part in Plane Crash Training Exercise

In late October, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) personnel who form part of the Wales Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team took part in a large-scale, multi-agency training exercise which simulated a plane crash at Southampton Airport.

MAWWFRS Firefighters joined Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) crews, as well as emergency responders from South Central Ambulance Service, Southampton Airport Fire Service, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary and the HIWFRS Incident Command Unit.  All agencies faced a challenging incident which saw a plane crashed into a car park, resulting in multiple casualties and vehicles involved.

As part of the exercise, the USAR Team were involved in making the crash site safe and searching for casualties.  Comprised of personnel from MAWWFRS and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, and supported by National Resilience Wales personnel, the Wales USAR Team is able to respond to support operational crews at a variety of incidents.

ISAR Coordinator and Eastleigh Fire Station Manager, Paul Lawler, said:

“This scenario challenged our Firefighters and commanders’ response to a major incident at one of our area’s critical sites.

“The size of this exercise highlights how complex an incident of this nature would be, so this training has provided an incredibly valuable experience for our teams, testing not just our firefighting and rescue skills, but also blue-light and partner collaboration.”