Inter-Agency Motorway Exercise

On Saturday 27th of August 2011, an inter-agency exercise took place on the M8 Motorway outside Fermoy. The scenario was that a single vehicle RTC with a persons reported. The Garda Traffic Corps put in place a rolling road block to allow for Fire Services to put in a fend off on the motorway and allow Lagan Projects Motorway Maintenance to close off the motorway and divert traffic off the motorway.
A very large thanks to all involved for allowing me the oppurtinaty to photograph the exercise and to see the procedures in action

Pre-Exercise Briefing

Exercise Vehicle & Casualty being moved into position

Last Vehicle through before the rolling road block is inserted by the Garda Traffic Corps

Fermoy Fire Brigade with the first two appliances on the scene arrive in a rolling road block formation prior to fending off the accident scene

Arrival of the cavalry, Mitchelstown take up fend off positions a set distance from the accident scene to allow for lane closures and coning off of the scene.

Scene stabilization and initial casualty assessment is carried out as equipment is prepared prior to it's use in the extraction

All glass management tasks are completed before the first cuts are made with the cutters

Like bees around honey, the Fire Fighters of Fermoy and Mitchelstown make light work of the car once they start cutting

Full Motorway closure in place with Garda Traffic Corps and Lagan Projects. Fire Services maintain the inner fend off

The Ambulance Service arrival to the incident

Medical handover of patient by the fire serive to the arriving paramedic

Many hands make light work and everyone has a jobs and knows it.
The casualty is removed from the vehicle after being positioned on a spinal board.
Just over 20 minutes from time of arrival of the first fire appliance at the scene to the casualty being placed in the back of the ambulance.

The end result

A quick in the field debrief by the incident and exercise commanders

View of the fend off and motorway closure from the Moorepark Fly-Over