Roe Valley Leisure Centre has hosted a live-action exercise allowing multi-agency partners across the Borough to test their readiness in responding to a major incident.
Officers from Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council joined with the staff from Derry and Strabane District Council and both Northern and Western Health Trusts to participate in the exercise, organised by the NI Civil Contingencies Emergency Preparedness Group.
In this training scenario, a housing development in Limavady was evacuated due to reports of fumes inside homes, with Roe Valley Leisure Centre being set up as an Emergency Rest Centre (ERC) to provide shelter for 30 ‘evacuees’.
Students from North West Regional College participated in role-playing exercises as evacuees, portraying various scenarios that could occur at the ERC.
Anthony McCloskey, Council’s Emergency Planning Officer said: “These types of exercises provide an invaluable opportunity to test the response of various agencies in the event of a major incident, allowing partners to train together in a safe environment, identify any further training and resource needs, and ensure our joint plans are as effective as possible should a real-life incident occur.
“I would like to thank the various agencies for their participation, as well as those from the PSNI, NI Fire and Rescue Service and others who attended as observers.
“Working alongside the NI Emergency Preparedness Group and our other partners, Council will ensure any lessons learned from this rehearsal will now be carried forward into our response plans.”
