The Isle of Wight’s emergency services came together to conduct a realistic, multi-agency training exercise in Northwood last night (Tuesday), simulating an individual driving into a crowd of people at an event.
The Isle of Wight Ambulance Service led yesterday’s successful, large-scale exercise which took place in the dark at the Wight Military and Heritage Museum. Not only did it involve the ambulance service and the wider NHS Trust but Police, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance and HM Coastguard too.
This year’s exercise simulated a major incident at a public event whereby an assailant had driven into and injured a number of people, resulting in both major and minor injuries. The attacker then fled inside a building which had lost power due to the vehicle striking the electricity supply.
The ‘incident’ was allowed to evolve in real-time and first saw Police arrive on the scene where they faced irate ‘casualties’ and bystanders. The extent of the situation quickly became clear and officers started a search for their suspect, whilst also providing initial care to those most seriously injured.
Paramedics were close behind and began prioritising who needed urgent care, including a man whose arm had been ‘severed’. At the same time, the incident was scaled up and further resources were drafted including doctors and nurses from St Mary’s Hospital.
Major incident vehicles arrived along with further assistance from HM Coastguard, who provided logistical support and first aid. Then, to simulate bad weather which could render the air ambulance unable to fly, the Coastguard Rescue Helicopter from Lee-on-Solent landed at Seaclose Park (to simulate Thruxton). It’s here that Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) team members from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Air Ambulance were picked up and flown to the County Showground, where Coastguard Rescue Officers from Bembridge, Ventnor and The Needles had set up a Helicopter Landing Site (HLS).
As well as all the blue lights, sirens and the helicopter hovering overhead, the exercise was made all the more realistic thanks to actors brought in to play many different roles. These included actors who were able to wear special prosthetics to represent losing limbs. Others were instructed to create confusion and drama, as you might expect at a real incident.
Open heart surgery was also conducted using the meat of a pig to replicate the human body, giving doctors vital on-scene experience of conducting such a major operation whilst under pressure.
Dr John Pike, Isle of Wight Ambulance Service Medical Lead, said:
“We have made huge strides in developing our critical care services on the Isle of Wight in the last two years. Running an annual exercise of this nature is the best way of ensuring our plans are robust if the need arises to respond to an incident where large number of casualties and bystanders are involved. Our aim is to provide the most realistic possible scenario where every service works together but it is not based on a real event.
“Working in this way greatly strengthens our response to real emergencies and ensures we are fully prepared across the whole Isle of Wight emergency care landscape. We are very grateful to the Military Museum and to all our partners and volunteers in helping us run such as innovative and realistic scenario.”
Having undergone a period of enhanced training alongside local and regional partners, Isle of Wight paramedics were examined in the delivery of an enhanced set of trauma and critical care management skills. The scenario also tested complex decision-making and communication within and between different agencies and stress-tested both clinical and operational skills and systems. Staff volunteers supported the exercise on their days off as part of their training.
It was in December last year that 1 of the largest training exercises in recent years was held, simulating 2 cars colliding and going over a cliff in the dark with multiple casualties.
PHOTO GALLERY
Obviously this scenario pretended all casualties were bowled away from the car & not one single person trapped under it, as fire & rescue were not involved. So no first aid back up from the other professional service on the Island. Hardly realistic is it. When such incidents occurred in London for real. Police Fire & Ambulance are first on scene. Not replaced by volunteers with a small amount of occasional training!!
Waste of Tax Payers money
Likely they are AWARE of the ‘type’ that will be filling the massive housing estates yet to come here.
Such actions are not carried out by locals.
Very true. Building new homes needs to Stop.
Do you think they’d say that in Manchester?
This will become a reality after all the building has finished, this island is getting more violent by the day….you have only to see the attitude of drivers on the island, to see more violence is on its way..
Forgive me if I’m wrong, I thought St’Marys and all its staff were overstretched?! Here we are roll playing.
It’s not role playing- it might save your life one day. If this training went on in Manchester some people might have survived
SNAFU is a phrase the army use, if the island police armed unit were there it would be a given
The fire service should of been involved as well ,including officer for command purposes
The comments on here beggar belief. Didn’t people hear what happened in Manchester. All our emergency services have to participate in these exercises so they don’t make the mistakes made like those in Manchester. The ambulance service did another exercise last year that very much involved the fire service. I saw the photos and there were people trapped in cars and photos of the fire service cutting them out. My understanding was that this this year exercise focused on how ambulance and police work together. Voluntary services coast guard and others were also involved. I for one am grateful that our services on the island take time out to train on working together