Ironbridge was at the centre of a training exercise for the emergency services today which saw crews from Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service along with West Midlands’ Ambulance and its Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) working together.
The scenario involved a capsized rowing boat and spectators gathered to watch as teams carried out a simulated search and rescue of ten rowers stranded along the banks of the River Severn.
The exercise stretched along the river from the rowing club in Coalbrookdale down to Jackfield.
Incident and tactical commanders ensured the three services worked closely together to bring ‘casualties’ back to dry land land where they were treated.
Station manager and fire service tactical manager, Chris White said: “We regularly seek training opportunities such as this with other agencies as collaborative working allows us to all be fully prepared for a variety of incidents.
“Scenarios such as this mean teams understand how each agency works and how we can best support each other which is really important as we respond regularly to water related incidents such as this.”
Crews practiced various techniques which are regularly used throughout Shropshire including using throw lines, an inflated hose, a tethered swim, paddle boat and also motorboat rescue.
For further information on fire safety visit www.Shropshirefire.gov.uk
