Emergency response exercise to take place in Herefordshire today

Agencies across the region will rehearse a civil and military emergency response.

A one day multi-agency emergency response exercise will take place in Rotherwas, Hereford today.

The exercise, which will take place near to Chapel Road in Rotherwas, will rehearse the region’s civil and military response to an aircraft collision. The simulation will include smoke, so businesses and residents are asked not to be alarmed.

The agencies participating in the exercise will be Herefordshire Council, West Midlands Ambulance Service, West Mercia Police, Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, RAF Cosford and the Environment Agency.

The purpose of the exercise is to challenge the responding agencies and test the processes where civil and military agencies across the West Midlands work together to respond to, manage and resolve a major incident.

The exercise will enable the regional agencies to build relationships and further develop emergency response skills. Following the process, each participating organisation will identify areas of strength and improvement which will then feed into future emergency resilience planning.

Businesses and residents will be unaffected by the exercise and will be directly informed prior to the event.