RNLI Flood Rescue Team and emergency service partners in Exercise Polygon flooded house evacuation training.

RNLI Flood Rescue Team members recently took part in Exercise Polygon, which was held in South Wales and was one of the biggest exercises of its kind in Wales this year. Co-ordinated by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, it brought together more than 250 people from 15 emergency services and rescue agencies including RNLI, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Maritime & Coastguard Agency, SARA, RSPCA, police forces from South Wales, Dyfed Powys, North Wales and Gwent and the Welsh Ambulance Service, CAVRA and Rapid Relief Team.
The exercise recreated a major flooding event where a period of heavy rainfall had seen flood water engulf a large number of homes around Cardiff. Emergency services received numerous 999 calls from persons trapped in buildings, rivers and vehicles across south Wales, testing emergency services resilience and teamwork in the face of a major incident.
Specially trained RNLI Flood Rescue Team volunteers from across the UK and ROI worked with partner agencies on a number of mocked-up scenarios.
Here RNLI Flood Rescue Team volunteers work alongside SARA, Fire and Rescue and Welsh Ambulance Service Trust HART team members to develop techniques and evacuate would-be casualties trapped in the upstairs floor of a flooded home.
RNLI Flood Rescue Team members also play the part of the casualties as part of the training scenario.

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