Emergency services in Uckfield deal with simulated flood

Emergency services in Uckfield are this morning dealing with a simulated flood.

The exercise has seen rest centres set up for “evacuees” at the Civic Centre and the Foresters Hall, writes Paul Watson.

A command centre is in operation at the police station.

The exercise is part of the national Operation Watermark which is testing the country’s response to sea and river flooding and reservoir failure around England and Wales.

In Uckfield, the scenario envisages the Uck over-topping its bank, in a way similar to the 2000 floods.

Tactical decisions

Tactical decisions on how to handle the emergency are being made from the police station where the command centre includes representatives of the police, fire service, ambulance service, Wealden District Council and the Environment Agency.

Inspector Andy Eggleton, a Wealden district police inspector, is the co-ordinator of the response. /images/2011_march/disaster_exercise_2.jpg

At one stage during the exercise the command centre – known to the emergency services as Silver Control – was due to lose all electrical power.

Telecommunicaions, including mobile phones, were also being “cut”.

Evacuations

Evacuations have been ordered from “flood hit” areas of the town and taken to rest centres.

The centres are both sides of the river as the exercise envisages north/south road links would be cut; as they were in 2000.

At the Civic Centre, a group of women from Streatfeild House in Southview Drive are taking part as “evacuees”. /images/2011_march/disaster_exercise_9.jpg

They are Sue Wheeler, Beryl Broadbery, Kay Timms, Penny Coleman and Iris Marjoram.

Simulated injuries

Fifty students from South Downs College, Eastbourne, who are on the public uniform services course, are playing various roles. Some at the Foresters Hall are pictured below.

Their scripts include them acting out people who are ill with diabetes or heart complaints, having lost animals, playing the part of families and others are said not to speak English. Others had simulated injuries. /images/2011_march/disaster_exercise_3.jpg

At the rest centres, staff were assessing their needs and people who were “injured” were seen by nurses and in some cases the ambulance service was called to take them away for treatment.

The college students were in two groups: half at each centre with a “swap” taking place during the morning so each rest centre would have to deal with a new influx of “evacuees”.

Umpires

Staff taking part at the command centre and the rest centres were faced with scenarios and developing situations as the morning progressed.

“Umpires” were in place. Town clerk Ashley Serpis was one of the umpires at the civic centre.

Police community support officers, accompanied by members of the town council, were also visiting householders in low-lying areas, prone to flooding, including Olives Meadow.

Although residents were not being asked to leave their homes, they were being told about the exercise and were asked about their preparations in the event of a flood.

Massive pump

East Sussex Fire Rescue have taken over a corner of the Luxford Field car park with a massive appliance which can pump water away at a phenomenal rate.

It is one of about 50 provided by the government and stationed around the country for use in major emergencies.

It can pump seven tonnes of water away every minute and, for example, could clear a football pitch flooded to the depth of one metre in an hour.

The pump can also be used to bring water to major fires and was used last winter at the blaze at a Boots store on a retail park at Eastbourne.

Key role

Wealden District Council had a key role in today’s exercise.

It was their staff setting up and running the rest centres.

The council is responsible for emergency planning, which is part of the portfolio of council deputy leader and Uckfield central ward councillor, Claire Dowling.

She was observing the process and offering support to staff but, as an elected member of the authority, played no part in the exercise itself.

Spring day

There was a certain irony about today’s weather.

Those taking part in the exercise were envisaging a scenario of heavy rain over a prolonged period of time and the River Uck over-topping its banks.

In reality, it was a pleasant spring day; the sun was shining and the Uck burbled along like a country brook.

However, everyone in the town knows how the benign Uck can quickly turn into a raging torrent as flood waters tear down from the hills above Buxted and through the town with the potential to cause havoc and even loss of life.

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