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Fire and Rescue Service training exercise in Kidderminster

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Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service will hold a training event at Kidderminster Hospital on Sunday 13 October 2019.

Up to twenty fire engines, other emergency services vehicles, and around 200 firefighters and officers will participate in Exercise Autumn Leaves, as part of this whole-service training activity. Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, West Mercia Police, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, and West Midlands Ambulance Service will also be involved, and members of the Fire Authority will attend.

Fire crews will gather at the Wyre Forest District Council offices at Finepoint House, Stourport Road, from around 08:00hrs, and the exercise will begin at the hospital, off Franchise Street, at 11:00hrs. It is scheduled to finish, and all crews and vehicles will be off-site, by 16:30hrs.

Rob Allen, District Commander at HWFRS said: “We have written to residents around the hospital to reassure them that all the activity is planned and that they should not be concerned about the arrival of so many emergency vehicles in their neighbourhood, or the appearance of cosmetic ‘smoke’ over the disused hospital building we will be using.

“No fires will be started as part of the training exercise, but drones will be visible in the air as they will be used to help the crew search the buildings.

“I can also confirm that careful planning means that our emergency fire and rescue response capabilities will remain at normal levels throughout the day for the safety of all communities throughout Herefordshire and Worcestershire.”

Exercise Autumn Leaves is an important part of continuous crew training and resilience planning for HWFRS, which are integral to the Service’s vision of ‘Saving More Lives’ in the two counties.

The location selected for the training exercise is currently disused and won’t be affected by damage from the firefighting and rescue procedures that will be used during the training exercise.

Ends

Editors’ notes

Contributors to HWFRS Service Exercise Autumn Leaves include Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, West Mercia Police, West Midlands Ambulance Service, Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Worcester Health and Care NHS Trust, Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Groups, Worcestershire County Council, Wyre Forest District Council, and volunteers from Herefordshire Council, various care homes, and the County Voluntary Emergency Committee.

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