Vital Fire Service exercise will take place in Brampton Bryan on Sunday

HWFRS fire engine convoy

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS) will be carrying out an important training exercise incorporating a series of fire and rescue training scenarios around Brampton Bryan Hall in north Herefordshire on Sunday morning.

Up to seven fire appliances will be used for the training, deploying from fire stations right across the area including Leintwardine, Kingsland, Ewyas Harold, Kington and Fownhope, plus the Service welfare vehicle from Tenbury Wells, with cross border support from Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

HWFRS community volunteers will also be taking part to act as members of the public affected by the incident, providing the firefighters with realistic opportunities to rescue people and provide emergency first aid in a pressurised situation.

Watch Commander Marc Mercer, from HWFRS’s West District, the exercise controller, said:

“This will be an invaluable opportunity to test out and improve our fire and rescue procedures when working with colleagues from other Fire and Rescue Services.

“HWFRS are grateful of the support of the landowner and estate team for the use of the property and being so engaging with the planning.

“We have a number of Hereford and Ludlow college students that are aspiring to join the public service that will be interacting with us on the day, be it as casualties or following our commanders to have an insight of the pressures and decision making involved during a incident.

“Careful planning means that our emergency fire and rescue response capabilities will remain at normal levels throughout the day for the safety of the area and elsewhere in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, and we have notified local residents of the exercise.

“We’ve received total support from the local community to date and I’d like to thank them for their patience while we undertake this vital training.”

The exercise is planned to take place between approximately 10:30am – 1 pm.