Fire training exercise Saturday 14th September 2019
Staff at Russells Hall Hospital are taking part in a major incident fire training exercise on Saturday 14th September 2019 which will also involve West Midlands Fire Service and West Midlands Ambulance Service.
Fire fighters and ambulance crews will be on site at the back of the hospital. The exercise will involve crews wearing breathing apparatus and the use of non-harmful artificial smoke to make it a more realistic scenario for responders.
The exercise is not real and there is no need for patients or the public to worry.
“We have a responsibility to make sure we are as prepared as we possibly can be to deal with emergency situations so that, in the event of a real emergency, our staff are capable of dealing with it safely and effectively,” said chief operating officer Karen Kelly.
The exercise is an opportunity for the fire service to use a hospital block to practice their procedures for search and evacuation and allows the Trust to test its response to a large scale incident and cross organisational working with emergency responders.
The exercise will not affect patients or relatives visiting the hospital. Patients attending a clinic on the day should arrive for their appointment as usual, unless they have received a letter advising them otherwise.
