| Kent fire crews will be practising their response to a fire in a high rise building this week |
Arlington House in All Saints Avenue, Margate is the venue of the full-scale live emergency exercise on Tuesday January 26.
Staff from Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS), Thanet District Council, Freshwater (the apartment block owners), the Highways Agency, Kent Police, the Red Cross and local residents are participating in the exercise designed to test the emergency services' response to a major incident.
Fire crews, 10 appliances and specialist vehicles from East Kent - including the High Volume Pump which is capable of delivering up to 8,000 litres of water per minute - take part in the exercise which will include a simulated fire on the top floor of the building. There are also a simulated rescue of residents trapped inside.
The exercise has been organised to practise firefighting and rescue in a high-rise building, which offers additional challenges to fire crews tackling incidents in this type of structure. The officers in charge of the exercise will observe how well they command and control the incident.
"Buildings such as Arlington House can throw up extra challenges for firefighters and this is a good opportunity to practise" |
Commenting on the exercise - called Finley - Exercise Director Russ Jordan said: "The unfortunate fatalities and injuries that were seen as a result of the fire in Camberwell last July and the government recommendations following the incident, remind us of the dangers high rise buildings can present.
"Buildings such as Arlington House can throw up extra challenges for firefighters and this is a good opportunity to practise and further develop their skills in a controlled environment, so that they are ready when a real incident happens. It will also assist us in formulating future plans to protect our local communities."
There will be minimum disruption to the surrounding area.