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Large scale multi emergency services exercise in Gravesend

Lifeboats News Release

A large scale mass casualty exercise took place on LV21 in Gravesend Reach on February 9.

The code named 'Exercise Red Ship' has been declared one of the largest exercises ever held on the River Thames.

A large noticeable presence of emergency services were in attendance along with seven volunteer actors performing as injured casualties from Casualties Union.

Gravesend RNLI's Lifeboat Olive Laura Deare II was joined by other emergency services and organisations including London Coastguard, Port of London Authority, Kent Fire and Rescue Service, South East Coast Ambulance Service.

LV21 is a historic, 40 metre steel-hulled lightship which saw most of its service off the Kent coast, retiring from service in 2008 and now transformed into a floating art space and performance facility.

LV21 Director Páivi Seppälä said, 'We’re delighted to work together with the emergency services and support one of the largest multi-agency training exercise the River Thames has ever seen along Gravesend riverfront. The safety of our crew, volunteers and visitors is of utmost importance to us, so we welcomed this unique opportunity to observe and learn from the first responders response to a hypothetical major incident aboard the historic lightship LV21.'

RNLI Thames Commander Liam Sidders said, 'Some of the role-playing casualties were walking wounded and some were required to be evacuated using special equipment. Injuries sustained included burns, fractures and smoke inhalation.'

'Multi-agency exercises like this are integral for the services to come together and further enhance their own emergency procedures, enabling to work with unfamiliar environments and improve command of control for mass casualty events.'

Notes to Editor

Gravesend is one of the RNLI’s newest lifeboat stations and one of four lifeboat stations operating on the River Thames – the first stations to specifically cover a river rather than estuarial waters or the sea.

Our lifeboat is Olive Laura Deare II, an Atlantic 85 B class inshore lifeboat, which is one of the fastest types in the fleet.

RNLI media contacts

For more information please contact:

· Ashley Bard, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on [email protected]

· Helena Lane, RNLI volunteer Lifeboat Press Officer on [email protected]

· Hatti Mellor, Regional Communications Manager [email protected]

· RNLI Press Office on 01202 336789.


Lifeboat crew helping injured sat on bench

RNLI/Ashley Bard

Gravesend RNLI Crew offers casualty care to casualties
Commanders from each agency huddled chatting

RNLI/Ashley Bard

A JESIP huddle of agency commanders
Lifeboat crew climb from orange boat up ladder onto red ship LV21

Skyshark Media

Gravesend RNLI Climb onto LV21
Kent Fire and Rescue Service fire trucks arrived and parked up

RNLI/Ashley Bard

Kent Fire and Rescue Service arrive on scene
Casualties Union volunteers laid on ambulance strecher

RNLI/Ashley Bard

Casualties Union volunteers playing their role as injured casualties
Fire crew setting up ropes

RNLI/Ashley Bard

Technical Rescue Unit setting up winch system to extract casualties

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.