Prison exercise tests procedures

Erlestoke Prison played host to a firefighting exercise on Sunday 26 October, working with Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service to test procedures.

The exercise involved fire crews and appliances from Westbury, Trowbridge, Warminster and Devizes, based on a scenario of a workshop fire involving two casualties. Firefighters used breathing apparatus to enter the ‘smoke-logged building’ and make the rescue.

Staff from Great Western Ambulance Service also attended the exercise, to gauge how they would run their operations in the event of an emergency within the prison boundaries.

Chief Fire Officer Andy Goves, who attended as an observer, said it had been a very useful morning. “The exercise was very well organised and demonstrated a high level of partnership working with the prison authorities. It highlighted areas where our normal procedures would need to be adapted to suit the needs of the prison, and gave operational crews the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the issues that may arise if a genuine emergency happened. That greater understanding of the prison and how it works will be invaluable in the future.”

Zoltan Szabo, health, safety & fire advisor at HMP Erlestoke, added: “We are grateful to the Fire & Rescue Service for developing such a detailed exercise, as we were able to test a range of procedures and responses in a ‘real time’ setting. Putting theory into practice in a ‘safe’ environment is a very effective way of seeing what works well and where improvements are needed.”

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