7 July 2009

Olney’s firefighters have been put to the test in an emergency exercise in the town – and they passed with flying colours.

Exercise Scorpion was staged at Scorpion Mouldings in Stilebook Road, which supplies moulded plastic parts to the Ministry of Defence and the automotive and other industries. The scenario involved a mock fire at the firm, in which two people were reported missing.

On the evening of the exercise, the town’s fire engine and crew were mobilised by Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service’s Command and Control Room in Aylesbury and attended the premises as if there was a real fire.

After arriving at the scene and gathering information from the on-site manager, Watch Manager Dave Reading, the officer in charge, assigned various tasks to the firefighters.

Great care was taken during the planning and execution of the exercise to ensure that all risks to firefighters were removed or reduced and, of course, that no damage occurred to the premises.

Station Manager Ian Wilson, who is Olney’s training officer, said: “The exercise was designed to test incident command procedures and general firefighting procedures.

“To this end, almost all the crew had no prior warning of the event. The outcome was successful – the two ‘missing employees’ were rescued and the ‘fire’ was extinguished safely.

“In addition, the crews picked up some valuable points to help them improve their procedures and hone their firefighting skills.”

One firefighter, however, knew everything about it in advance but had been sworn to secrecy! Simon Rolfe is an employee of Scorpion Mouldings and a member of the crew at Olney Fire Station.

Simon planned the exercise for his colleagues with the help of his manager at Scorpion Mouldings, Leigh Spacey, and Ian. Simon’s employers, Neil and Simon Whitham, have been keen supporters of the local community since the company moved to Olney in 1976.

Ian added: “Scorpion recognise the vital role Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service plays in their community in the form of the staff based at Olney Fire Station.

“The company also recognises the many advantages it gains in allowing some of its staff to be available for duty with the brigade - such as intimate knowledge of their premises, which is invaluable in the event of an incident.

“Thanks to the support of Scorpion Mouldings, our firefighters have improved their performance and are keen to continue their professional development for the future.

“The town of Olney can be proud of its firefighters and community-minded employers such as Scorpion Mouldings.”

The exercise was the first in a series planned for this year which will provide the Olney crew with the opportunity to build on their existing knowledge and skills.

Click here for Olney Fire Station's home page, and here to see a picture of its fire engine.