Public Services students from York College were decontaminated when they participated in a North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service training exercise at York Racecourse. They took on the roles of delegates at a medical conference who had been exposed to a mystery white substance which involved more than 60 firefighters and 15 fire engines rehearsing the emergency quarantine and decontamination prodecure in ‘Exercise County Stand‘.
More than fifty students were quarantined in a first-floor conference room, then instructed to change into throwaway clothing and march through a series of portable decontamination showers. Student Nicola Braddick said: “We didn't know what we were getting ourselves into. Thankfully the showers were heated! It was really interesting though and a very useful experience for our course.“
Cecil Pugh, Station Manager, who organised the event said: “We are really grateful to York College for providing us with the students and to the racecourse for letting us use the site. There are always communication issues between people in hazardous material suits and members of the public. It was an excellent event and a really good learning experience for us, and the students.“
