Multi Agency Emergency Exercise carried out on Fermanagh lakes

by Gráinne Connolly

A multi-agency emergency training exercise was recently carried out in the Fermanagh area.

The exercise was designed to test the preparedness, response and collaborative working between a number of agencies in the event of an emergency on the water. 

Agencies including PSNI, NIFRS, RNLI and North West Mountain Rescue took part in the event on Lough Erne. The exercise had been a number of months in the planning.

The exercise was coordinated by the Police Service of Northern Ireland and was designed to test the response of the emergency services to a major incident. A number of systems and procedures were tested. 

PSNI Inspector Rory Hoy explains:

"During the exercise, participants took part in a scenario to test responses to an emergency on an island in the Lough.

"Our aim was to ensure we can mobilise and work together should an emergency take place in the future and that all the protocols are tested so as to ensure a joined-up, cohesive response.

"This is about partnership working it is important that we test how all of the agencies work together to save lives.

"It is important that we are in position to respond to any scenario as a major emergency can occur anywhere not just at this location.

"We hope that we can build on learning of this event. We can achieve more when working together than we ever could going it alone and we will all continue to work together to ensure that we have effective multi-agency plans in place so we can respond to any incident where ever it happens."