Herm first aider Andrew Bailey, right, updates a Guernsey paramedic about the condition of ‘casualty’ Mike Rowe, who was found in the burning workshop. (Picture by Lesley Bailey, 0764344)

GUERNSEY Fire and Rescue, along with the Ambulance and Rescue Service, staged a dramatic simulated explosion in Herm to test their response time and our own emergency teams.

In order to make reactions as realistic as possible only a handful of islanders knew about the exercise. It was a perfect opportunity to see the strengths and weaknesses of the procedures that are in place.

The emergency sirens were set off, marking the start of the two-hour exercise. Once the 999 call went through to the harbourmaster, it was his job to find the first available boat. In this case, the Sarnia work boat was used. This brought over the Guernsey fire and ambulance services.

The scenario was an explosion in the Power House, which provides electricity for the whole island. A smoke machine simulated fire, while several bloody casualties were dispersed around the immediate area – complete with blood bags and fake dismembered limbs. The gory scene was incredibly realistic.

The casualties themselves were carefully chosen. Chris Pimblett used to work in the UK as a paramedic and is often relied on for first aid. He is also on the fire team. Others were islanders who use vehicles on a daily basis.

This shortened fire team numbers and put the first aid team under pressure. They also had to find people able to use a vehicle to meet the fire and ambulance teams off the boat.

Many of the fire team are also first aiders and special constables. Gardener James Cordingly, for example, arrived with the fire team, but was soon administering medical assistance.

Island secretary Mel Brown also acts as Fire Chief, and did a great job of orchestrating his team and keeping onlookers out of the area and at a safe distance.

Part of the exercise was that a casualty was trapped inside the Power House, which was on fire. The Herm team are only supposed to control the situation until Guernsey back-up arrives, but in this case they entered the building and stretchered the patient to safety.

Island technical services director Simon George was in charge of the Herm end of the operation.

‘We have to give thanks to Guernsey Fire and Rescue and to St John Ambulance for organising this exercise,’ he said. ‘Guernsey Fire and Rescue are assessing how we coped and they’ll give us a full report. I think we performed well, better than they expected.’

What was mainly learned from the afternoon was that there is just under a one-hour response time from the time the sirens go off until the Guernsey rescue services arrive at the scene. During that hour, it is up to islanders to control the situation.

A training officer for Guernsey Fire and Rescue later said that the Herm team were ‘absolutely fantastic’ and they were surprised by the quick reactions and help from bystanders.

‘We appreciate the support we got from the community during the exercise,’ said Simon.

‘By the time the fire team and first aiders got there, there were already islanders with the casualties. People just climbed over the wall and immediately began to help.

It’s nice to know that aside from the fire team, we have backup from the rest of the island.

‘That is the strength of Herm.’