On 2 June, an inter-organisational exercise took place, organised by the Rhône SAMU, in which the Rhône Civil Protection took part.
The exercise was carried out in conjunction with the SNCF, which made it possible by providing the site and equipment, and by offering organisational support. The scenario centred on a rail accident requiring the rescue and treatment of numerous trauma victims.
The scenario was as follows: a regional express train carrying passengers experienced a braking failure as it entered the station and came to an abrupt halt against a buffer stop. There were numerous casualties suffering from injuries caused by the sudden stop, and many people were involved in the incident.
Several objectives
There are a number of shared objectives: validation of the training of medical students in disaster medicine and of the University Diploma in the Management of Public Health and Collective Risks (Claude Bernard University, Lyon 1), simulation exercises and training for team members and team leaders to prepare for ORSEC mass casualty incidents (NOVI), coordination between civil protection organisations themselves and the SAMU for field operations, and the practical application of specific first-aid techniques (damage control, mass casualty management).
The third edition of this exercise highlighted the collaboration between the Rhône region’s first-aid organisations and SAMU 69, who are partners in a joint initiative to provide training and improve practices.
Civil Protection organisations regularly take part in joint exercises, organised in collaboration with government departments, with a view to continually improving their operational response.