Issued on: Friday 21 June 2024
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service to Partner with Highcross for Multi-Agency Training Exercise
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) is excited to partner with Highcross Shopping Centre to facilitate an upcoming multi-agency training exercise. The exercise will take place on Wednesday 26 June, between 14:00 and 19:00, in a vacant unit at Highcross.
LFRS will test the multi-agency response to a large fire alongside East Midlands Ambulance Service and Leicestershire Police. At least ten appliances are expected to attend the exercise, ensuring a robust and realistic simulation of emergency response efforts.
Simon Holden, Area Manager Response, says, “We are grateful to Highcross for working with us to host such a large multi-agency exercise. It is important to the Service that we can train and practice our response in key locations across the county. By working together in realistic scenarios, we can put into practice our coordinated response to emergencies, ultimately benefiting the entire community.”
Jo Tallack, senior general manager at Highcross, said: “We’re pleased to be supporting Leicester Fire and Rescue Service and the accompanying local agencies, including Leicestershire Police and East Midlands Ambulance Service, with the planned fire training exercise.
As a large public space in Leicester city centre, we not only rely on the preparedness of our own teams, but also those around the community, like Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, to ensure the safety of our shoppers, staff and retail teams in the event of an emergency.
Training exercises like this are fundamental to the operation of our centre, and the wider community of Leicester, and we’re pleased to be playing a part by allowing the team to use a vacant unit to carry out this important training exercise.”
The public is advised that this is a planned exercise, and there is no cause for concern. The area around the former Debenhams building may appear busy with emergency vehicles and personnel, but this is all part of the controlled training scenario. We appreciate the community’s understanding and cooperation during this important exercise.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Interviews can be arranged through prior arrangement with Corporate Communications on the details below. On-site interviews are not available.
About the Service
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service provides emergency response, prevention and protection services from 20 stations across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Its headquarters is based in Birstall, Leicester.
During 2022/23, we attended a total of 9.440 emergency incidents, including 2.650 fires and 710 road traffic collisions. A total of 13,660 Home Safety Checks were completed and we fitted 4,767 smoke alarms. 238 schools were visited as part of the Service’s schools programme, delivering fire and road safety education to 21,033 pupils.
The Service’s prevention, education, enforcement and inspection programmes have resulted in significant reductions in the number of incidents attended.
Contact:
Corporate Communications
Direct: 0116 210 5756
Corporate.communications@leics-fire.gov.uk
Download a PDF version here.
