Fire Service College hosts the launch of International Flood Rescue exercise

Juliet Basford | Thursday, September 10, 2009

The Fire Service College played host to the launch of an unprecedented multi-national exercise to test the capability of the emergency services in responding to incidents of major flooding.

Floodex 2009 is a four day emergency exercise, organised by the European Union, taking place in the Netherlands from 22 - 24 September 09.

Crews from nine UK Fire & Rescue Services and other specialist rescue organisations (including the RNLI), comprising 40 emergency response vehicles and over one hundred personnel, assembled at the College on Monday 21 September.

They attended a briefing on the exercise, which coincides with a seminar with 100 invited VIPs, including MPs and Chief Fire Officers, which includes an introduction to Floodex and flood risk, together with an overview of the Fire Service College and National Resilience programmes.

The convoy of crews and vehicles from across the UK then depart from the College for North Holland on Tuesday 22 September for the four-day exercise.   They joined emergency crews from Poland, Holland, Sweden and Estonia, who are also taking part in the exercise, which will simulate the tidal surge that devastated the UK and Holland in 1953 resulting in over 2000 fatalities.

Paul Hayden, Chief Fire Officer of Hereford & Worcester Fire & Rescue Service is co-ordinating the UK's contribution to Floodex.  CFO Hayden led national flood rescue efforts in 2007 and was recently appointed by the government to represent all flood rescue services on the national programme board. 

CFO Hayden said: "This exercise will be an ideal opportunity to test new arrangements we are putting in place for major flood responses across the UK as a result of the 2007 summer floods".

Kim Robinson, Chief Executive at the Fire Service College, said: "The Fire Service College performs a vital role in supporting the UK Fire & Rescue Service in their work to protect and save local communities.  The College has been at the heart of the work to equip Fire & Rescue Services with the capability to be able to respond to major incidents of flooding, as already seen in recent years in South Yorkshire, Humberside and Gloucestershire.  This exercise will test and demonstrate that capability on a multi-national stage and we are delighted to be involved."

For further information contact:

Neil Thompson, Communications Officer, Fire Service College
Email:  nthompson@fireservicecollege.ac.uk

Mob:    0782 540 3492