Emergency services exercise at Exeter Cathedral

Emergency services carried out an exercise at Exeter Cathedral which involved a live ‘casualty’ being winched down the side of the building.

Three fire crews, a specialist line rescue team, and the Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) from South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust were at the scene.

They simulated the rescue of an adult casualty from the bell tower by lowering him externally down to the Cathedral Green.

Exercise director Watch Manager Sean Faulkner, of Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service, said: “We are very grateful to Exeter Cathedral for allowing us to use such a high-profile building to test our rescue from height techniques and ability to work with other agencies.”

Graham Finnigan, Special Operations Manager with South Western Ambulance Service, said: “We carry out extensive training with our HART paramedic teams who cover the whole of the south west region.

“This was an excellent opportunity for us to practise casualty access techniques and clinical management in a safe and controlled environment with our fire and rescue colleagues. This allowed us to rehearse and hone our skills to ensure the best possible care is delivered to our patients within less conventional environments.”