Firefighters from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service have carried out an exercise at a high rise block of flats today, Friday, June 30.
The exercise, which has been planned for several months, saw the emergency services responding to a staged incident at a flat within Stanhope House, in Litchfield Street, Tamworth, which is a high rise block, to allow the incident commander and crew to put their training and skills into practice.
Organisers of the exercise decided to continue with the staged scenario despite the fire at Grenfell Tower on June 13, which has claimed the lives of 80 people.
The exercise was planned before the London disaster took place and forms part of the service’s regular preparation for a variety of incidents.
Station manager Martin Wever said before the scenario took place: “In light of the Grenfell Tower fire we’ve given careful consideration to going ahead with this exercise but feel it should still happen as a part of crews’ varied and regular training.
“We also feel it will reassure residents that we take the safety of residents living in high rise blocks very seriously. We are committed to working with partners to ensure their safety at all times and by staging this incident we can make sure crews are as prepared as they can be to respond to emergency within this type of building.
“We have worked with Tamworth Borough Council to make sure that the residents that live in Stanhope House, and the surrounding blocks, are all aware that the incident is taking place and while the sight of so many emergency vehicles may be unusual, we hope that the disruption to residents will be minimal.”
