Exercise Unified Response
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Exercise Unified Response was a large multi-agency emergency services exercise held near London from 29 February to 3 March 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.london-fire.gov.uk/exercise-unified-response.asp|title=London Fire Brigade - Exercise Unified Response|website=London-fire.gov.uk}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35686269|title=Tube disaster exercise: 'Tower collapses into station'|date=29 February 2016|website=Bbc.co.uk}}{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/feb/29/operation-united-response-building-collapse-training|title=Fire crews mock up tube station collapse to train for emergency|date=29 February 2016|newspaper=The Guardian}}{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/12177955/Emergency-crews-take-part-in-a-graphic-disaster-mock-up-in-pictures.html|title=Emergency crews take part in a graphic disaster mock-up, in pictures|website=Telegraph.co.uk}}{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2016/02/29/tower-collapses-into-tube-station-in-training-exercise_n_9345996.html|title=Crews Face 'Blood-Soaked' Tube Carriages As Part Of Biggest Drill Ever Held In London|date=29 February 2016|website=HuffPost UK}} The exercise was conducted at four sites simultaneously across central and south east London, with much of the live action taking place at Littlebrook Power Station, Dartford. The exercise scenario was centred around a building collapse onto Waterloo station during rush hour. An area of the exercise site was prepared with London Underground carriages and rubble from which simulated casualties were extracted by rescue services.
The organisation of the exercise was led by London Fire Brigade, and the exercise involved around 70 partner agencies, including the London Ambulance Service,{{cite web |url=http://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/news/news_releases_and_statements/ambulance_crews_to_treat_over.aspx |title=Ambulance crews to treat over 1,000 patients in Exercise Unified Response |website=London Ambulance Service |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630100621/http://www.londonambulance.nhs.uk/news/news_releases_and_statements/ambulance_crews_to_treat_over.aspx |archive-date=30 June 2016 }} the Metropolitan Police, local authorities, British Red Cross,{{cite web|author=Laura Oakley |url=http://blogs.redcross.org.uk/tag/exercise-unified-response/ |title=exercise unified response Archives - British Red Cross - Blog |website=Blogs.redcross.org.uk |date=2016-03-14 |accessdate=2017-06-23}}
The Salvation Army, St John Ambulance,{{cite web|url=http://www.sja.org.uk/sja/what-we-do/latest-news/exercise-unified-response.aspx|title=St John Ambulance provides support for disaster response drill|website=Sja.org.uk|accessdate=2017-06-23}} and specialist teams including Urban search and rescue and disaster victim identification.
The exercise also included activation of the EU civil protection mechanism, with teams arriving from other member countries, Hungary, Italy and Cyprus to assist the local emergency services.