FIREFIGHTERS from Bovey Tracey spent their most recent drill night at Centristic in Heathfield for a simulated entrapment exercise.

The first crew in attendance were faced with a forklift driver who had suffered a medical episode while moving a steel beam which had crushed two workers and sheared an electrical cable.

Crews got to work by committing a BA team due to a possible Hazardous Materials incident before discovering the damaged electrical cable which was conducting an electrical current through the beam and other pieces of equipment.

Using electrical gloves, the team were able to isolate the premises and make the vehicle safe. Once the area area was confirmed safe to work in, another crew were deployed to rescue the casualties.

Using Stabilisation Equipment and airbags, the crews were able to raise the beam enough to carry out rescues on the staff while a snatch rescue was performed on the fork lift driver.

'This was a fantastic opportunity for crews to communicate with each other to ensure a successful outcome of the incident in a local risk environment,' a spokesman for Bovey Tracey Fire Station said.

'We extend our thanks to the staff at Centristic for allowing us the use of their workshop to carry out this important training' the spokesman added.