The venue for a large scale training exercise by Shropshire firefighters involving a simulated chemical spillage has been moved from Oswestry to Ruyton X1 Towns.
The routine training event was set to go ahead at the Cheese factory at Maesbury Road Industrial Estate in Oswestry this Thursday evening (October 8).
But due to work commitments at the factory, the venue has been changed to Pentons storage yard at Ruyton X1 Towns.
Organiser Ashley Brown, a Retained Support Officer at Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, thanked Pentons for stepping in at the last minute.
"They have offered us their premises at short notice so we are very grateful for that. The exercise will now go ahead as planned."
During the exercise, Shropshire fire crews will join Fire Service colleagues from across the Welsh border in Chirk to react to a report of a chemical spillage made during a delivery.
The simulated incident will begin when factory employees raise the alarm reporting a chemical spill and a number of casualties. Police and ambulance crews will be first on the scene quickly followed by firefighters.
"It gives us all the chance to practice joint operational response procedures in conjunction with other emergency services and other agencies" said Ashley.
The three blue light services will also work with the Environment Agency, St John Ambulance and Klenzan, the chemical carrier, brought in to make the exercise as realistic as possible.
A fire crew from Baschurch will be on duty to provide fire and rescue cover in and around Oswestry during the training exercise.
Fire and Rescue staff will respond from fire stations at Telford, Tweedale, Albrighton, Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Chirk. The response will also include the services specialist environment unit, incident command team, and safety teams from Telford.
