Shoreham Detachment host West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service

Monday 17th of November was an unusual parade night for No 13 (Shoreham by Sea) Detachment of Delta Company, Sussex ACF, as they hosted West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service for a realistic fire training exercise at their Detachment location.

Building on the existing excellent working relationship with Shoreham Community Fire Station, the Cadets were tasked to provide casualties and a realistic scenario for crews from various stations in West Sussex to practice their skills on. Putting on their thinking caps, the Cadets divided themselves into two groups: those injured in a simulated explosion, and those trapped inside three buildings within the Detachment grounds. This gave the Cadets an excellent opportunity to put on some casualty simulation make-up, practice how to call the Emergency Services and how to manage a First Aid incident, as well as showing them the professionalism of West Sussex Fire Service close up!

Within minutes of the first simulated 999 call, two appliances arrived at the Detachment location, with blue light blazing and crews professionally reacting to both simulated mass casualties and darkened, but simulated burning buildings, neither of which they had been briefed on. The Cadets’ acting skills went up several notches as traumatic screams and frantic pleas for help echoed through the normally quiet residential streets of Shoreham by Sea. In fact, so good were the acting skills on display, several neighbours came out to see if it was real!

Quickly realising the number of casualties and the unfamiliar building layout, the Exercise Officer in Charge asked for an additional two Fire crews to assist while the initial responders concentrated on saving lives, setting up an Incident Control Point and getting the situation under control. Soon, additional crews arrived on scene, clearing buildings and treating all 25 simulated casualties with swift professionalism and ease. Some of the Cadets looked very pleased to be carried out of the buildings!

The Exercise ended with a debrief to all participants, with West Sussex Fire and Rescue Watch Manager Beth Parry-Evans thanking the Cadets for the use of their building and providing casualties, as well as commenting on the professionalism and enthusiasm of the Cadets. In return, the Cadets noted the communication skills and “general awesomeness” of the Fire Service before presenting them with a Sussex ACF plaque to commemorate the event – hopefully the first of many such joint exercises!

Officer Commanding Delta Company, Major Jim Boyden ACF said: “I’m thrilled we could run such a mutually beneficial Exercise with West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. We always want Army Cadets to live up to the Values and Standards of the British Army, and to see firefighters display real-time examples of Selfless Commitment, Physical Courage, and Discipline really brings it to life for the Cadets. We are incredibly grateful to West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service for showing the Cadets what excellence looks like.”