Emergency services cope with disaster as terror plans are tested

Emergency services and the military have taken part in an exercise simulating a major industrial accident causing mass contamination.

The exercise for the Civil Contingency Reaction Force involved an industrial explosion at Shorncliffe Barracks where many people died and even more were contaminated.

Emergency teams dealing with contaminated people had to get them undressed and take them through a decontamination unit in preparation for receiving the relevant health care.

Contamination unit

The operation started at 0930 BST on Friday and was expected to continue into the evening.

It involved checking systems of communication between the bodies involved, including the Army, the emergency services and civilian services such as the council.

The reaction force was set up after a Government review which took place following the terror attacks of September 11.

Officials found that existing rules affecting emergency planning dated back to the 1920s and were in need of an update for the 21st century.

Setting up the reaction force, which is one of 14 across the country, is due to be complete by the end of this year.