Tonight Canterbury Police and Alpine Cliff Rescue (ACR) will lead the first emergency training exercise to test a rescue plan in the event of a catastrophic disaster that affects the Christchurch Gondola. This will also be the first time that Canterbury Police, Alpine Cliff Rescue (ACR), LandSAR, Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (AREC), Civil Defence, Westpac Rescue Helicopter, Fire Service and Christchurch Gondola have all trained together.
The exercise will provide an exciting opportunity to watch rescue teams working together without lives being at risk in a real situation.
The scenario will involve the use of advanced rescue techniques to extract people from gondolas suspended up to 20m above the hillside. Rescue teams will be briefed on the weather conditions, hazards and any injuries people may have (which may differ from actual conditions) as this exercise will test a ‘worst case scenario’ situation.
The exercise will commence at 6pm with a briefing for the rescue teams and is expected to continue until 9pm. The main activity on the hillside is expected to be between 7pm and 8pm.
Canterbury Police will have a team in the District Command Centre (DCC) located at Christchurch Central Station (Canterbury District HQ) and an officer at the Gondola and will lead the SAR response, as they would in a real situation.
Teams will be working along the gondola line and the adjacent 4x4 track. Westpac Helicopter is also expected to play a role in the exercise. Specific details are not being released at this time as it may detract from the scenario teams will be working through.
However at some stage during the exercise teams will be using the following rescue techniques:
• Slope lowering
• Vertical rope rescue
• Rescue of casualties down a steep hillside
• Helicopter rescue
The Gondola car park will be closed for public parking during the exercise and anyone who is keen to watch should park at the Domain car park which is a short (approx 500m) walk away. Please ensure you lock your vehicles are secure valuables out of sight or take them with you. The public is welcome to watch from the Gondola car park but please keep away from the teams taking part in the exercise.
This exercise is also understood to be the first time that Christchurch based LandSAR and urban search and rescue (Civil Defence) teams have trained together in a disaster scenario situation.
Specialist teams such as ACR will lead the technical aspects of the exercise including vertical rope rescue.
The exercise will also test the new LandSAR safety management system.
ENDS
Media – please note that you will need to wear an appropriate fluorescent jacket, your official ID and clothing/shoes suitable for a hillside environment. Register your interest in advance with LM on 021 942 404 who will brief you offline. Note any media need to sign-in prior to going on site.
Issued by: Lisa-Marie Brooks, District Communications Manager, Canterbury Police District. Mobile: 021 942 404