The exercise will take place on 15 June in the high-rise block at Round Gardens
Warwickshire firefighters will be put to the test in a training exercise taking place at an empty block of flats in Rugby. The team will face a challenging realistic scenario that will test their operational procedures, equipment, and individual role requirements to ensure they are prepared for future incidents. The exercise will take place at Beechwood Court, Round Gardens at 10am on 15 June and will continue for the duration of the morning. Following the exercise, the firefighters will receive a full debrief reviewing the effectiveness of their response and how challenges were overcome.
Members of the public passing the training site should expect scenes that may appear similar to a real incident: there will be 8-10 fire engines as well as police cars and ambulances in attendance. Cosmetic smoke will be used for the exercise, which may be seen leaving the flat block, and role players will act as casualties and be evacuated from the building. Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service have asked that residents do not call 999 and avoid flocking to the area.
Station Manager Andy Paxton at Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service said:
“Training exercises are essential for our service as they help us fully test our people and procedures in a situation that replicates a real-life incident. This means we can be completely prepared for dealing with these scenarios when they occur. We would like to say a massive thank you to Rugby Borough Council for giving us access to the buildings for our exercise. This has been a rare opportunity to use an empty high-rise for our training, and without the council’s support, cooperation and partnership working we would not have been able to benefit.”
Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Fire and Rescue and Community Safety, Andy Crump said:
“Thank you to Rugby Borough Council and the local residents for supporting this training exercise for our firefighters. We are lucky to have an excellent Fire & Rescue Service here in Warwickshire and participating in these exercises helps our emergency responders be better prepared for the difficult situations they often face.”
Residents looking for further updates on this training exercise and other Warwickshire Fire & Rescue Service activity can find the service on Facebook – @warwickshirefireandrescueservice – and Twitter – @WarksFireRescue.