SIMEX Series is the UK’s largest annual international disaster response exercise. It is an operational (live controlled) field exercise designed to establish a learning environment for players to exercise disaster event response plans, policies and procedures. Player participation comprises of; activate, mobilise, respond operationally on scene, report (internally and externally), implement short and medium-term plans, hand-over, demobilise and complete after-action reviews.
SIMEX Series of exercises have taken place annually since 2012. The exercise comprises a mix of live, simulation and command and control events in order to provide a neutral platform to test both national and international emergency response mechanisms. The overall aims of the exercise comprise of:
- The development of international and national response capacity;
- The promotion of coordination of humanitarian assistance, emergency response, research and education;
- The evaluation of the disaster management systems presented by the participating organisations
Many many organisations took part. Go here to see a whole list.
The whole thing lasted 3 days but as 1st year nursing students we were only there on the one day, the Wednesday, at Fort Widley. Some of us (not me) did however take part in the Tuesday evening events and many of my co-hort didn’t even bother taking part!!
Getting to Fort Widley
Simulations
Those are just a few of the photos taken on the day. Can’t wait till next year as we will be fully involved in 2 days of action. The Tuesday as casualties and the Wednesdays as nurses.
