Successful fire evacuation exercise at Clapham Court

On Wednesday 28th July a successful planned fire and rescue drill was undertaken by Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service (GFRS) at Gloucester City Homes’ (GCH) Independent Living Scheme Clapham Court in Kingsholm.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service performed the practice evacuation and rescue exercise starting with a briefing at Kingsholm Stadium, followed by a full run through of their procedures for evacuation and rescue in the event of a fire in the ten-storey building. Rescues were performed from third and tenth floor balconies using a fire engine with an extendable arm as well as Fire Officers performing rescues from within the building using weighted dolls.

This exercise took place to ensure that all residents of Clapham Court are familiar with fire, rescue, and evacuation procedures; keeping everyone as safe as possible in their homes as well as presenting a chance for GFRS to use the time as a training exercise for not only Clapham Court but other high-rise buildings in the area.

Clapham Court has strong fire prevention measures in place including a retrofitted sprinkler system, an annual review by GFRS to ensure it is fire safe and has a clear evacuation plan, as well as a fire risk assessment undertaken by GCH Fire Safety Contractors (A&E Fire and Security) each year to ensure the safety of the building.

Becky Evans, Independent Living & LifeLink Manager at GCH said “We are grateful to have such a great relationship with Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service. These exercises are invaluable and provide reassurance to residents on safety should there ever be a fire on schemes across our Independent Living Service. This exercise was also a great opportunity to remind residents of the stay put policy that exists within the building.”

Jo Singh, Station Manager at GFRS said “This is a valuable exercise, showing the collaboration between GCH and GFRS to reassure our community and residents at Clapham Court. It was also a brilliant opportunity for GFRS to practice High Rise procedures”.

Take a look at a video of the exercise here: