To the uninitiated in Junee, it was a scene of carnage as the SES, Fire and Rescue, Volunteer Rescue Association, a CSU nursing team and the Rural Fire Service worked to free trapped people in a multi vehicle accident.
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To the more than 60 personnel involved, it was a valuable opportunity to work together in a controlled emergency situation.
Held at the lake near Junee’s Laurie Daley Oval on Sunday, emergency crews arrived to find three cars in a pile-up, complete with horrendously ‘injured victims’.
“We do the moulage (mock injuries makeup) to simulate what crews would encounter at a real-life accident, and it’s not pretty,” Wagga SES Local Controller Daniel Mahoney said.
Crews had to locate and rescue all occupants, with flares to simulate a fire adding to the real-time drama, while a fourth car with mannequins was partially submerged in the lake.
Organised by the Junee SES, Controller Michael Webb said everyone involved got something out of it.
“I hope we can do it again maybe every second year, because while all emergency crews do regular training, having a multi-agency exercise work together is really invaluable,” Mr Webb said.
“The day was a huge success,” Mr Webb said.