Year 8 Emergency Planning Exercise

---

On Monday 7 June Year 8 students took part in an emergency planning exercise at the “bunker” underneath the County Hall in Chelmsford. This location acts as a command and control centre for the county's emergency planners when they are dealing with major incidents.

The main event was a table-top emergency response exercise in which each student was given the role of a Category One emergency responder. Students were involved in dealing with a challenging scenario in which a rail incident caused a dangerous chemical spillage which threatened a wide area.

Working with representatives from the emergency services and other responders, they had to make difficult decisions to organise the most effective response. This exercise has been the culmination of a programme of work in Critical Thinking in which the students have been studying the Civil Contingencies Act and the roles of emergency responders.

Students also visited the historic Council chamber in which they were welcomed by Cllr Rodney Bass, Chairman of the Council, who explained the workings of the Council and some of the history of the county.