Fire exercise tests crews with mock hospital blaze

Wednesday 14th December 2011, 10:59AM GMT.

Firefighters simulated a fire and rescue at Shrewsbury’s Shelton Hospital

Firefighters have taken part in a mock emergency exercise at a Shropshire hospital.

As part of a simulated incident, crews from Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service wore breathing apparatus to run into Shelton Hospital, on the outskirts of Shrewsbury, to rescue people reported trapped.

Firefighters from Shrewsbury, Minsterley, Bishop’s Castle and Baschurch took part in the operation last night where they reacted to an emergency call reporting a major fire at Plas Medygg, one of Shelton’s accommodation blocks.

See more pictures in our gallery to your right

The exercise gave firefighters the opportunity to practise operational procedures and rescue techniques wearing breathing apparatus.

It mirrored a real incident which happened at the hospital in 1968 when 24 women died in a huge blaze in one of the hospital’s wings.

The fire in Beech Wing led to a major overhaul of health and safety in hospitals across the UK.The midnight inferno began in a locked secure ward with a total of 70 firefighters in 12 fire engines fighting the blaze.

Exercise organiser Neil Maguire said: “These are valuable training exercises which allow us to also demonstrate the correct and effective use of search and rescue procedures with firefighters wearing breathing apparatus to locate missing people,”

Gary Gillson , a fire safety adviser for the South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare Trust, said that health and safety in hospitals was much improved after the 1968 fire.

View more: Shrewsbury news, Shropshire Fire And Rescue Service news.