If you live in Woodberry Down, you should have received from Hackney Council a leaflet about a fire and rescue exercise happening between 11am and 4pm on Tuesday 8 October.
It is being carried out by Hackney Council’s emergency planning team to test how well the emergency services, council and volunteer agencies work in reacting to an emergency.
The exercise will take place at Burtonwood House where cosmetic smoke will be used to simulate a fire. Up to 12 fire engines will attend and actors portraying the part of residents will be rescued from the building and either have their ‘injuries’ dealt with by the ambulance service, or be looked after by Hackney Council at a rest centre set up in Redmond Community Centre.
There will be a significant number of responders, volunteers and vehicles around the area surrounding Burtonwood House. Parking restrictions have been authorised on the roads adjacent to Burtonwood House in order to keep vehicles off the main road running through the estate.
There will also be a presence from the police and private security will ensure that the area is kept safe and secure.
Robin Carter, emergency planning and response officer at Hackney Council, said: “We hope the exercise will encourage community engagement with both the council and emergency services, and help Woodberry Down become more resilient to an incident of a similar nature.”
Should you wish to watch the event unfold on Tuesday, there will be a cordoned off viewing area.
For more information, see https://news.hackney.gov.uk/live-emergency-planning-exercise-at-woodberry-down-8-october/