A MULTI-AGENCY exercise designed to simulate a major incident was held in Exmoor National Park over the weekend.

Police officers, special constables and staff were joined by emergency services, voluntary rescue organisations and others on Saturday, March 23 at Wimbleball Lake.

The exercise simulated the response to a mid-air collision between two aircraft, allowing those involved, such as the Avon and Somerset Local Resilience Forum, to test their knowledge and procedures.

It also tested how well different organisations can work together in an emergency situation.

Those involved included:

  • Avon and Somerset Police;
  • Fire and ambulance services;
  • HM Coastguard;
  • Exmoor Search and Rescue;
  • Avon and Somerset Search and Rescue;
  • BARB Search and Rescue;
  • Wessex 4x4 Response;
  • The Rapid Relief Team;
  • The Royal Navy and Royal Air Force;
  • The Salvage Marine Organisation;
  • The Air Accident Investigation Branch;
  • South West Lakes Trust;
  • The Environment Agency;
  • South West, Wessex and Bristol water companies.

Somerset County Gazette: The exercise tested people's abilities to respond to emergency situations.The exercise tested people's abilities to respond to emergency situations. (Image: Avon and Somerset Police)

The exercise has been described as a "great success" and the lessons learnt will ensure that, in the event that an emergency like this happens for real, those working in these fields can be ready and prepared.

Simon Bale, Avon and Somerset Police's contingency planning officer, said: "The exercise was a great success, allowing us to test our plans for these types of incidents and make sure we're ready and well-rehearsed in case they do happen. 
 
"Lessons identified allow us to make any required changes to our multi-agency plans and prepare our responders and commanders to work together in order to save live and minimise harm.” 
 
Rich Rogers, South West Water’s health and safety director, added: “We’re proud to have worked with our Local Resilience Forum partners to help host and deliver this great example of continued collaborative work.
 
“It's vitally important that agencies come together to test our ability to respond to significant incidents and ensure we can collectively provide the very best response to people in trouble when needed. 
 
"This exercise also allowed us to test our own emergency procedures and incident response plans.”

During the exercise, a coordination group also met to test the command structure and ensure that the different agencies were communicating as they should be.