The quarry at our South Ferriby site recently hosted a large scale multi-discipline emergency response training exercise, bringing together emergency services and response teams in a realistic quarry rescue scenario. These included Humberside Fire & Rescue, The East Midlands and Yorkshire Ambulance services, HM Coastguards and Humberside Police.

Following careful planning and co-ordination, the exercise saw emergency services deployed from the main South Ferriby site before responding to a simulated major incident located over a mile away at the quarry itself. The scenario was carried out safely and successfully, providing valuable training opportunities for everyone involved.

The day focused on strengthening emergency response procedures and identifying opportunities for improvement across all services. Key objectives included:

• Conducting a full “gap analysis” of a potential major incident — from the initial alert through to the rescue process in both water and quarry environments.
• Reviewing and sharing operational information and best practices between the different emergency services.
• Raising awareness of the dangers associated with entering quarries and waterways, particularly as the summer months approach and outdoor activity increases.

The training exercise highlighted the importance of collaboration, communication, and preparedness when responding to complex rescue situations in challenging environments.

The event was considered a great success, with refreshments for more than 100 attendees generously provided by volunteers from the services’ teams.

A huge thank you to everyone involved for their professionalism, commitment, and teamwork in making the day both safe and highly effective.