Crowngate Car park to host fire service training event today

A FIRE service training event is taking place this evening (Monday) at a city centre car park.

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service confirmed it will be carrying out a small training operation at the Crowngate Car Park this evening.

Micahel Lloyd, centre manager for Crowngate Shopping Centre, said the exercise would be held between 6pm and 8.30pm, with vehicles parked at Crowngate Bus Station, and the bus station stairwell will be used between 6pm and 8.30pm.

The car park will remain open for public use on the lower levels, but floors five and six will be closed off to allow the emergency services to complete the training exercise, which is set to involve fake smoke.

Crowngate Shopping Centre will still be open to the public as usual.

A spokesperson for Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said that “these exercises usually will involve testing procedures in the event of a fire such as evacuation procedures and extinguishing of fire as well as testing general safety procedures.”

READ MORE: County fire crews to train at Worcester Cathedral on Sunday

On Sunday, November 6, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service carried out one of its biggest training exercises in recent years, using the Cathedral as a venue. 

The fire service held a dry run of a portable, high-volume water pump which draws water from the River Severn up to the Cathedral. 

The event was to test preparedness for a major event at the Cathedral, and the process of removing historic artefacts and relics.