Multi Agency Exercise Helps Agencies Stayed Prepared

As part of an ongoing commitment to work together to make sure arrangements are in place to respond most effectively to major emergencies, representatives from a range of agencies gathered for an emergency planning exercise on Wednesday (14 October).

Kent Fire and Rescue Service and Dover District Council hosted Exercise Winston at the DDC offices in Whitfield. The day involved KFRS training, using the innovative Fire Studio multi-media software as the basis for this multi-agency exercise. The imagined scenario was a major fire in the Churchill Hotel on Dover seafront. A team of fire fighters discussed how they respond to a major fire incident, the resources they have, and their decision processes. A number of groups and agencies then looked into the wider implications of the scenario, and how it would affect the surrounding communities.

The exercise included representatives from KFRS, Kent County Council, DDC, Thanet District Council, the Eastern and Coastal Kent Primary Care Trust, Port of Dover Police, Dover Harbour Board, Kent Police, the Highways Agency, British Red Cross, UK Border Agency, the Environment Agency and the Churchill Hotel. The exercise has been welcomed as a real success and an important part of agencies continuing to work together to be prepared for major emergencies.