Firefighters hold rope rescue exercise at SS Great Britain

Avon Fire & Rescue Service (AF&RS) has taken part in a rope rescue training exercise at the SS Great Britain on Gas Ferry Road.

The exercise involved crews being called to a mock incident involving a worker in the hold of the ship who had fallen from a platform. The ‘casualty’ had suspected spinal injuries and a broken arm.

White Watch firefighters from Temple Fire Station used rope rescue techniques to rescue the casualty.

The two hour exercise allowed the fire and rescue service and staff at the SS Great Britain to understand the requirements and challenges of operating on one of the most important historic ships in the world during an emergency.

AF&RS Group Manager Sarah Allen said: “This exercise was a great opportunity for us to strengthen our working relationship with the SS Great Britain. Crews took part in a live exercise which included challenging scenarios allowing procedures to be tested to ensure we are prepared to respond to any future incident.” 

Paul Harrison, Head of Technical Services, SS Great Britain Trust, added: “We are delighted to have been a part of Avon Fire & Rescue Service’s live training exercise. It’s a brilliant opportunity to work with a fantastic team to understand procedures needed to respond to any future incident and we look forward to working with them again in the future.”