Students help out with emergency services training
A Metropolitan Police emergency exercise at a football club proved a success thanks to journalism students studying NCTJ-accredited courses.
A Metropolitan Police emergency exercise at a football club proved a success thanks to journalism students studying NCTJ-accredited courses.
The Metropolitan Police hosted an emergency table-top training exercise on March 11 which took the scenario of a major fire at Crystal Palace Football Club. The exercise involved officers from the Metropolitan Police, the London Fire Brigade and the London Ambulance Service.
The exercise, which unfolded according to a script, was designed to realistically imitate the pressures faced by officers when a large scale emergency takes place in south London.
Students from Brunel University, Lambeth College and News Associates, London, played the role of the press at the event, interviewing officers and asking questions about the emergency.
Alan Goodall, operations officer with the Metropolitan Police, said: “Our delegates were delighted with the input of the NCTJ students as it made the exercise just that little bit more realistic.
“The London Fire Brigade in particular was very impressed and took much from the students’ involvement. The students said the day gave them the opportunity to interview senior members of the emergency services in a difficult and pressurised situation, which was as close to the real thing as possible.”
The event was viewed as such a success that Mr Goodall has said if any NCTJ-accredited courses would like to be involved in further training events he can be contacted at alan.goodall@met.pnn.police.uk or on 020 8649 1242.
