Fatal 5 Road Safety Event Held at Newtown Fire Station

Following several significant collisions on Powys roads and to highlight Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s (MAWWFRS) ongoing road safety awareness campaign, a road traffic collision demonstration was held at Newtown Fire Station on Saturday, May 16^th.

The exercise simulated a serious road traffic collision involving several vehicles and casualties, providing an opportunity for multiple agencies, including Dyfed-Powys Police and the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust, to work together and strengthen their response to large-scale emergency incidents.

Fire appliances and crews from across MAWWFRS’s Powys Fire Stations took part and practised extrication techniques, casualty care and command coordination.  Role players acting as injured casualties brought realism to the training exercise, with participants developing their triaging skills to prioritise casualty care.

Following the live collision demonstration, attendees were able to meet their local Firefighters, Police Officers, Paramedics and representatives from Powys County Council’s Road Safety Unit. 

There was also an opportunity for attendees to take part in CPR and basic first aid demonstrations, helping to raise awareness of lifesaving skills and the actions members of the public can take in an emergency before the arrival of the emergency services.

Head of MAWWFRS’s Northern Division, Group Manager Phil Morris, said:

“Exercises such as this are vital in helping us maintain a safe, competent and effective workforce.  They give us the opportunity to train in realistic conditions, strengthen our joint working with partner agencies and ensure we are fully prepared to respond when real incidents occur.

By recreating the pressures and unpredictability of genuine emergencies, we’re able to test our decision‑making, refine our operational techniques and identify any areas where we can improve.  These scenarios also allow our crews to build confidence in their equipment, their training and, most importantly, in each other.

Joint exercises like this help us understand each other’s roles, streamline communication and ensure that when the public needs us most, we can deliver a fast, efficient and unified response.”

Sergeant Andrew Buckley, of Newtown Police Station, said:

“This road traffic collision demonstration was a fantastic opportunity for us to work with our blue light partners MAWWFRS and the Welsh Ambulance Service on all matters road safety.

While we work closely with our blue light partners in the aftermath of road traffic collisions, this event allowed us to use that same teamwork into doing all we can in preventing those incidents from happening in the first place.

Thank you to our MAWWFRS colleagues for hosting us at Newtown Fire Station for this great joint initiative and thank you to all attendees who stopped and spoke to us.”

Road Safety

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service works in conjunction with a number of organisations and through a variety of initiatives to protect road users, including car drivers, motorcyclists and pedestrians throughout our service area.

Find out more on our road safety initiatives here.