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Fire, ambulance and polices services from across Hertfordshire and the East of England recently took part in a pre-planned training exercise at The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead.
Code-named ‘Frostbite’, the exercise saw responders from the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) and Hertfordshire Police join firefighters from Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service at a set-up scene to test their skills, knowledge and training in a situation as close to a real-life experience as possible.
Together responders carried out a simulated rescue operation within the snow centre’s unique environment and conditions. The aim of the exercise was to test the plans of all emergency services and their partners in responding to incidents together, under extreme weather conditions.
Throughout the exercise, JESIP (Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles) – a programme designed to improve the way police forces, fire and rescue services and ambulance trusts work together when responding to major multi-agency incident, was implemented.
“We regularly take part in training exercises, sometimes with our emergency service colleagues, to test our plans for handling a particular kind of incident and ensure that our teams have the skills and experience to respond to these events.
“This exercise provided an opportunity for us to work together in a training scenario where several people have been injured in a car accident during a snowstorm at night, in conditions as cold as minus six degrees.”
Graham Grover, Watch Commander at Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service and Multi-Agency Training and Exercise Co-ordinator, Local Resilience Forum.
The exercise, which took months of planning, was also supported by fire and police cadets and other partner organisations such as Mid-Shires Search and Rescue, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Emergency Critical Care Service and the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trust. Approximately 300 people took part in the exercise.
“Operation Frostbite was a clear example of why multi-agency working and collaboration is vital in the life-saving role that emergency services play. The training exercise was a fantastic opportunity for all the blue light services and other partners to enhance their skills and training so that we can get it right in a real time scenario.
“I am incredibly proud of the role that ambulance staff played in the exercise, and I know that they enjoyed the opportunity to put their training to the test. I want to thank everyone who organised the event and took part in it, and also thank The Snow Centre in Hemel Hempstead for allowing us to use their facilities.”
Melissa Dowdeswell, Chief of Clinical Operations at EEAST.
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