Falklands : FIG To Participate in Exercise to Test Emergency Plans
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 13.12.2006 (Article Archived on 27.12.2006)
A major exercise to test plans designed to deal with a major civilian emergency is to be held on 20th December.
PRESS RELEASE
FIG TO EXERCISE EMERGENCY PLANS
A major exercise to test plans designed to deal with a major civilian emergency is to be held on 20th December.
FIG has been working with the military personnel at Mount Pleasant to plan and run a major exercise for several months. The exercise scenario will be a fire on a cruise ship in Port William. For the purpose of the exercise, HMS Edinburgh will ‘act’ as the cruise ship from which passengers will be evacuated by air and sea. Under the overall control of the Governor, the exercise will enable FIG departments to practice communication, evacuation, accommodation, healthcare, transport and feeding plans as well as testing the interface with military support.
A large number of FIG staff will be involved in the exercise and any disruption to the public will be minimised. However, services at the hospital will be inevitably disrupted. Clinics and routine doctor’s appointments have been cancelled but dental and podiatry services will continue as normal.
The Governor commented:
“It is essential that the government maintains a high state of readiness to deal with a wide range of disasters. This will be the most comprehensive civilian exercise for some years. It’s not a test but rather an opportunity to learn how we might improve our disaster management plans and is likely to be followed by a series of smaller desktop exercises to test particular aspects of those plans.”
12th December 2006
Contact: Chris Simpkins, Chief Executive, FIG
|
