HEREFORDSHIRE firefighters have received specialist training from two experts in dealing with accidents on the county's roads.

Two volunteers from Mercia Accident Rescue Service (MARS) trained firefighters to build on their skills in freeing casualties from vehicles involved in collisions.

MARS provides emergency medical care to the critically ill or injured before they arrive at hospital and its volunteers have become a familiar sight travelling to accidents on Herefordshire's roads.

The session was organised by Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service to train staff to provide realistic training for the retained fire crews at Peterchurch, Ewyas Harold, Eardisley and Kington. Also present were two new community first responders from Ewyas Harold The training at BT Madley Communications Centre by Dr Malcolm Russell and Dr David Houston featured a realistic road accident scenario.

Three cars and a motorcycle were in a simulated collision and five volunteers from Herefordshire Amateur Pantomime Society played casualties trapped in vehicles. The fire crews responded as if it was a real incident and were required to free the casualties and help the medical experts.

MARS provided a paramedic as well as a medical incident commander who liaised with the fire incident officer to decide on the safest and most appropriate method of freeing the trapped casualties.

“This was an extremely demanding and important training exercise for all the emergency services involved,” said Dr Houston.

“The extrication of a casualty from a vehicle can be extremely difficult and requires excellent on-scene communication and technical ability.

“The Fire and Rescue Service worked extremely well with the medical response to provide a highly effective and rapid extrication of the casualties.

“MARS recognises the importance of excellent teamwork and integration of all the emergency services on-scene. This training exercise served to practise the difficult extrication of entrapped casualties as well as strengthen our relationship with the local fire and rescue crews.”

The vehicles were provided by Prometheus Medical Ltd, a medical company based in Hope-under-Dinmore, free of charge in support of MARS.

The fire service and MARS thanked British Telecom for allowing the use of the site as well as Hereford Pantomime Society and Prometheus Medical Ltd.

To find out more about MARS, help raise money or make a donation go to marsbasics.org.uk