Earthquake and volcanic eruption devastate Hampshire as part of disaster simulation exercise

Simex is the University's annual international disaster simulation exercise, which allow responders to practice their capabilities to be ready for deployment in emergencies of all types.

Local, national and international emergency response organisations will be taking part in the University of Portsmouth’s annual international disaster simulation exercise next week.

SIMEX23, which is run by the University of Portsmouth and The Simex Series Trust, runs from Tuesday 9 to Thursday 11 May. 

The disaster simulation is based on a scenario involving an earthquake, a volcanic eruption and a major storm that results in a severe humanitarian disaster including severe flooding, environmental pollution, collapsed buildings and displacement of people. Exercises will take place at various locations around Portsmouth, including the University.

The exercise is supported by voluntary groups to provide role-players as casualties and other affected people, as well as make-up artists to ensure those affected look as realistic as possible.

Phil Crook, Exercise Director of The Simex Series and Teaching Fellow in Crisis and Disaster Management at the University, said: “Exercises such as this allow responders to practice their capabilities to be ready for deployment in emergencies of all types. This event is also used as a basis for a significant amount of research into how response can be more effective, training and exercising can be improved and emerging technologies can be incorporated to enhance organisational capabilities.”

On Tuesday, as an integral part of the exercise, there will be a simulated mass casualty incident at the University’s Centre for Simulation in Health and Care where Nursing and Allied health care professional students will treat patients with a variety of different injuries. A second event on Wednesday, will have a paediatric focus. This will involve children travelling in a minibus to the Historic Dockyard for a school trip being brought into the simulated hospital, where they will be triaged and appropriately treated after being involved in a mock road traffic accident on the A27.  

Nursing staff and doctors from Queen Alexandra (QA) hospital will join Nursing academics and students from Nursing, Operating Department Practice, Radiography and the drama department to attend to the ‘casualties’ and to gain vital learning experiences.  

Exercises such as this allow responders to practice their capabilities to be ready for deployment in emergencies of all types. This event is also used as a basis for a significant amount of research into how response can be more effective, training and exercising can be improved and emerging technologies can be incorporated to enhance organisational capabilities.
- Phil Crook, Exercise Director of The Simex Series and Teaching Fellow in Crisis and Disaster Management

Melanie Tanner, Senior Teaching Fellow (Nursing) in the School of Health and Care Professions at the University of Portsmouth, said: “During their shift, our nursing  students will be undertaking the role of a ‘band 5 Registered Nurse’.  Each student will be designated an area, for example minors, majors, resus etc, and will be linked with a registered nurse from QA who will be coordinating and leading the care required.  They can expect a variety of patients with both physical and mental health conditions.

“The whole exercise is an educational activity for all of the team involved and as such, there will be certain points in the day that we will freeze action to enable everyone to learn from some more significant presenting injuries.  This is a great opportunity to work with our fantastic team at the Queen Alexander Hospital and prepare our future nursing and allied health professionals to be safe, confident and competent practitioners.”

The whole exercise is an educational activity for all of the team involved and as such there will be certain points in the day that we will freeze action to enable everyone to learn from some more significant presenting injuries.
- Melanie Tanner, Senior Teaching Fellow (Nursing)

On Wednesday, the student nurses will also support a team from the University’s Crisis and Disaster Management course undertaking a number of scenarios based on a refugee incident at other exercise sites around Portsmouth. This will offer the students valuable learning opportunities involving communication and de-escalation skills.

The annual SIMEX Series exercise, which started in 2012, comprises a mix of live, simulation and command and control events in order to test both national and international emergency response. It is also designed to provide a learning environment for participants to test disaster event response plans, policies and procedures.