East Sussex Fire Service has held a simulation of a major road traffic incident involving multiple casualties trapped inside a double-decker bus as part of a training exercise involving four fire engines and a technical rescue unit.
18 fire fighters from Preston Circus, Roedean and Lewes fire stations attended the mock rescue scene at Brighton & Hove Buses’ Lewes Road depot.
Fire Service Watch Manager Jon Lee, who organised the exercise, says: “In the scenario the bus driver has had a medical episode at the wheel and caused an accident involving a car and a pedestrian.
“Passengers are trapped on the bus, a pedestrian is pinned under the wheel of a car, the car has ploughed into the bus doors so they can’t be opened and the motorist can’t move because of his injuries.
“This sort of training exercise is designed to refresh and test our fire fighters in operations and processes around road traffic collisions that involve lots of casualties.”
Brighton & Hove Buses’ Lewes Road Senior Supervisor Dan Young says: “I’m very grateful to the fire service for giving us this incredibly useful and rewarding opportunity to help improve the safety of our community.”
The practice involved ensuring the bus was safe, stabilising both the car and the bus with blocks to prevent further injuries. Then each of the crews attended to the different sets of casualties.
Jon added: “It was a really successful and useful exercise for us. It’s been good to have Brighton & Hove Buses wanting to get involved and get into the spirit of it. We couldn’t have done it without them.”
