Case Studies - London Region Exercises
Exercise Osiris II (Bank Underground Station)
7 September, 2003
Details of the Exercise
The Emergency Services took part in an exercise at Bank Underground Station
and at University College Hospital on Sunday 7th September. This exercise
was part of an ongoing exercise programme and was not a response to a
specific threat.
The exercise aim was to test specific elements of the operational response
to a chemical attack on the Tube. The emergency services carried out their
roles and responsibilities as they would in response to such an incident,
in accordance with the arrangements in the London Emergency Services Liaison Panel (LESLP)
Major Incident Procedure Manual.
The exercise was used to test protocols for collaboration between the
emergency services in the use of detection and identification equipment to
maintain safe cordons.
The London Fire Brigade tested their capability to perform search and
rescue by appropriately protected personnel, of casualties from an
immobilised train in a tunnel. Central stockpiles of equipment were
deployed to supplement that carried on appliances as they would be in an
incident. New lightweight aluminium stretchers were also used.
Police personnel practiced the use of personal protective equipment in a
realistic scenario. Police from the Metropolitan Police Service, the City
of London Police and British Transport Police were involved in the
exercise.
The London Ambulance Service conducted triage of casualties by personnel in
appropriate personal protective equipment. They exercised the deployment of
appropriate antidotes.
Clinical and Mass decontamination were carried out by the London Ambulance
Service and the London Fire Brigade respectively. The NHS carried out
decontamination for 'casualties' who had notionally made their own
way to University College Hospital. Police were additionally supporting
decontamination at Bank and at University College Hospital.
Some of the equipment used is new equipment, which is now in use in London
as part of the major programme of work underway to improve London's
capability to respond to the effects of attacks using hazardous materials.
This includes improvements to procedures, training and new equipment as
well as exercises. The provision of this equipment is purely precautionary
and not in response to any imminent or specific threat.
London's Fire Brigade and Police Services now have new chemical,
biological and radiation detection and identification equipment with
further equipment due.
All emergency services in London have personal protective equipment (PPE)
appropriate to their specific roles. The London Fire Brigade has the
ability for the bulk delivery of gas tight suits - 130 in each of two
lorries.
As part of an ongoing programme with the Department for Communities and
Local Government, additional equipment designed to facilitate
decontamination of the public in the event of an incident has been
delivered to Fire Brigades across the country, including London Fire
Brigade who will be using this equipment at the exercise.
Elements that were not being tested in this exercise included the response
of emergency services control rooms, interagency command and control above
the level of Silver (tactical), evacuation of LUL premises or
decontamination of the train and surrounding environment.
The exercise was planned and orchestrated by a multi-agency team of
exercise planning personnel coordinated by the Metropolitan Police, in
conjunction with the London Resilience Team.
The London Resilience Team is a multi-agency team that was set up in
October 2001 to review contingency arrangements for London and to
coordinate strategic pan-London emergency planning.
As part of the Government's wider programme to strengthen the UK's
capacity to deal with incidents involving the use of hazardous material, a
major programme of work is in hand in London. This has included:
-
detailed review of the Capital's response capabilities and
implementation of recommendations
-
procurement of new and better detection and identification equipment,
protective equipment and mass decontamination equipment
-
review of the response and rescue plans and implementation of improved
methods and procedures
-
briefing for frontline transport staff in how to recognise and respond to
a hazardous material attack.
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