Authorities have confirmed that the mass emergency services operation conducted on the R28/ Paardekraal Drive on Wednesday afternoon, March 30 was an emergency preparedness simulation.

Also read: Mass EMS operation on the R28/ Paardekraal Drive

The planned simulation involved ‘an accident’ between a petrol tanker, a bakkie and two vehicles to ultimately test the coordinated response of all emergency personnel such as police and traffic police, the Fire Department and emergency medical services from Mogale City, the West Rand District and even Provincial.

It was the third simulation of this magnitude to be conducted in Mogale City since 2019. Although management of the various departments knew in advance about the planned simulation, the emergency personnel that responded, however, were not informed beforehand.

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The importance of this type of simulation lies in readiness training and evaluation. The various departments were assessed on their reaction time and their actions during the simulation. This allows each department to discern which areas should be focused on and what training must be employed in the rest of this year.

Though motorists may have been annoyed by a lengthy delay in traffic and having been rerouted, it’s important to note that these kinds of operations prepare our town’s emergency response units for likely future events and may just help save lives.

Read the full story in next week’s News dated April 8.