More than 30 people were on-site in a supporting capacity last week in Trawool.
The exercise was a massive undertaking, with 90 first responders from CFA, SES, Ambulance Victoria, Victoria Police and St John Ambulance taking part, as well as 27 students from La Trobe University who acted as casualties.
The scenario depicted a simulated bus accident in which the bus driver suffered a cardiac arrest while in transit.
In the practice scenario, the bus swerved off the road, crashing into a music festival area and striking several campers.
It imitated a situation where were more than 30 passengers on board the bus at the time suffered injuries of varying degrees from a bus rollover.
First responders received a briefing as the exercise commenced to ensure their response was as realistic as possible.
The scenario was influenced by recent tragic events such as the 2023 Eynesbury bus incident and the 2023 Hunter Valley incident in NSW.
Trawool captain Sean Kerris said the exercise required significant planning and wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work of all involved.
“It was a challenge to bring the exercise vision to life but the learnings will be invaluable for our first responders,” he said.
“Our emergency service personnel will have a better understanding and ability to navigate very confronting emergencies if they arise after this exercise.”
The drill aimed to test and enhance the collaboration between emergency services when responding to large-scale emergencies.
VICSES Seymour Unit Controller Christine Welsh said VICSES volunteers must be prepared for any scenario, and these exercises played a vital role in upskilling and nurturing essential inter-agency teamwork.
“These relationships are particularly important in regional areas and have been an ongoing focus of VICSES’ Seymour Unit volunteers over the last 12 months,” she said.
“VICSES volunteers pride themselves on being there to support their communities during a challenging emergency response, and these training exercises only strengthen that resolve.”
The scenario was chosen because music festivals are commonly held within the region, and the scale of such events can present unique challenges for emergency responders.
The exercise demanded intricate co-ordination and was supported by Seymour Coaches, Seymour Caravans & Trailers, Rotary Club, Seymour RSL, Seymour Performers Workshop, Cox Solid Civil and Mitchell Shire Council, in addition to emergency service organisations.
