Surrey firefighters to test their response to a chemical incident

Surrey Fire and Rescue Service are running an exercise in Redhill to hone their responses to a chemical or gas incident.

In what is thought to be the first exercise of its kind with more than 50 volunteers being ‘evacuated’ in public from Redhill’s Belfry Shopping Centre before being ‘decontaminated’.

Throughout the exercise which starts at 7pm on the 11 February, firefighters from across Surrey will be using specialist equipment including gas tight suits, decontamination areas and portable showers.

A Surrey Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said “We all hope that things like this don’t ever happen but our firefighters need to be ready for anything to keep our communities safe. There will be a lot of emergency service activity around Redhill but residents don’t need to worry it’s our firefighters working with other emergency services to hone their skills.”

The exercise is one of four designed to test Surrey’s response to chemical incidents with future exercises being planned for Lingfield racecourse and Redhill Aerodrome.