Fire crews go underground at North Cambs Hospital for training exercises

Fire fighters in Wisbech went deep underground in a bid to take part in more realistic training sessions.

Crews from Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service used the tunnels under the North Cambs Hospital in Wisbech to practise a host of skills in two training exercises this month.

The exercises were organised by patient and admin services for Cambridgeshire Community Services NHS Trust, Mandy Cuckow.

She said: “We are delighted to be able to support Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service crews and provide them with a realistic training environment. This was a great opportunity and we look forward to further joined-up working between our organisations.”

Crew Commander Robert Wabe, from Wisbech, explained the training with North Cambs Hospital enabled fire fighters to hone their skills in an unfamiliar setting.

He said: “We focussed on confined space and underground tunnel training when we used the hospital site, which also involved things like laying guidelines and retrieving casualties.

“Having the chance to partner with local businesses and organisations gives us much more opportunity to develop challenging training exercises for crews, to test staff and keep it interesting to ensure we get the best out of one another.”