Red Cross prepares with emergency exercise

One of the largest emergency exercises in the UK begins today (May 21) – and Red Cross volunteers and staff in Lincolnshire will be playing their part.

The simulated train crash and chemical spill near Lincoln, called Exercise Georgiana, will test the plans of the British Red Cross, emergency services, public sector bodies and other voluntary organisations. The exercise, which takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday, will see Red Cross volunteers at three different locations in Lincolnshire, practising their skills and working with partners including the fire service, NHS, councils and ambulance service.

Joy Clift-Hill, British Red Cross operations director for Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Rutland and Northamptonshire, will be in ‘gold command’ alongside senior staff from other organisations at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service’s headquarters – the multi-agency command and control base. Sir Charles Allen, British Red Cross chairman, will visit each of the locations to meet those taking part in the exercise and see first-hand the response to a large-scale incident.

At a survivors’ reception centre near the staged crash site, Red Cross volunteers will respond to the needs of people affected by the derailment. This involves bringing them to the centre, giving emotional and practical support, working with emergency service staff and dealing with minor first aid incidents.

In the Grantham Red Cross office, teams will test out equipment, the accuracy of data, and how strategic decisions are officially recorded.