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Press Notice No: 359-09
Friday, October 30, 2009
Posted 11:55 GMT
MAJOR MARITIME EXERCISE IN CHANNEL
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is responsible for a major international maritime exercise taking place in the Channel on Tuesday November 3rd 2009. The multi-agency exercise Manchex 2009 will involve Coastguard and the emergency services from Britain and France.
Manchex is a bi-annual test of the contingency plan developed to deal with major marine emergencies involving the UK Coastguard, French Coastguard and the other emergency services. Manchex 2009 will simulate a fire and an evacuation from a cross channel passenger ferry in the approaches to the Southwest Lane of the Dover Strait.
The maritime incident operations will be co-ordinated from the MCA operations room at Dover Coastguard. A fire fighting team from the Maritime Incident Response Group (MIRG) will be airlifted to the vessel. Casualty reception centres will be set up ashore and emergency services will need to undertake hazardous chemical decontamination of passengers.
MCA Exercise Controller, Spike Hughes at Dover Coastguard says,
A major feature of these exercises is to ensure good communications between all emergency services and the various authorities involved in the English Channel during a major incident. To that end French Coastguards from Gris Nez will work alongside MCA staff in the Dover Coastguard operations room, as well as Kent Police and Kent Fire and Rescue Service, enhancing the learning process and making communications easier.
For further information contact the MCA Press Office on: (023) 8032 9401
Press releases and further information is available at www.mcga.gov.uk
Notes to Editors
Contact the MCA Press Office for further details about the exercise or on the day of the exercise contact Julia Gosling 07917 555634.
MIRG
UK MIRG teams provide cover for the UK coastline for fires, hazardous materials and industrial accidents. MIRG personnel are alerted by pager when incidents occur once tasked by the MCA. MIRG personnel aim to be equipped and ready to fly within 60 minutes.
The team are all volunteers who, in addition to learning practical ship firefighting, are trained in water sea survival, helicopter underwater escape, helicopter operations, winching and use of the extensive equipment provided by the MCA and Fire Service specifically for the team.
Posted By: Maggie Hill
For further details contact:
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency Press Office
023 8032 9401