ESTESS2016 REVIEW | 19
What did we learn from the Learning Zone? The Emergency Services Show was bigger than ever this year. With five seminar options for visitors to choose from, it was really important to get the content of the Learning Zone just right. Creating a compelling offer for visitors is a tall order but there is so much going on in the world of the emergency services that finding great examples of learning was never going to be difficult. Words: Catherine Levin Having the National Operational Guidance Programme and JESIP curate the programme meant they could draw on their extensive subject knowledge and networks. This resulted in a two-day programme of wide ranging, timely and relevant subjects with a variety of approaches to delivering the learning that would appeal to the diverse range of visitors to the show. The biggest draw by far was the learning from the Shoreham Air Crash. Neil Stocker and Michael Lewin from West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service provided a compelling account of the tragic events of 22 August 2015. In front of an audience of nearly 100 people, Neil and Michael used a mixture of reportage, video footage and personal anecdote to share what happened. What made this presentation so valuable was how Neil and Michael drew on the experience of their own service and other agencies and considered it in terms of what they learned – both positive and negative.
“What approaches are the different services taking and how much are they learning from each other?”
Gus O’Rourke, Head of Operational Policy and Assurance, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, discussed how his crews responded to the Bosley Mill incident.
360-degree view Just one month before Shoreham, Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service were called to attend an explosion at Bosley Mill where four people tragically lost their lives. For this incident a 360 degree view of the learning seemed appropriate. Gus O’Rourke (above) went through the events of the day as he and his crews responded to the incident. Sian Corrigan talked about how she and her team dealt with the media, which was at a heightened level of interest from the start. It’s fascinating to hear how challenging it was to deal with an explosion and the difficulties of working in such a complex site. The insights provided by the regional resilience support and that provided at a national level made this session in the Learning Zone really special and this is an approach that would work well again in the future. While the two incidents detailed here were over a year ago, the affected services are still dealing with the aftermath and the learning will continue to emerge over the months to come, so the insight provided at The Emergency Services Show could only ever be a snapshot. But, combined with hearing about new operational developments like the use of drones, body worn video and the use of social media, visitors to the Learning Zone could take away so much from the rich experience and information in just one day out of the office.
Amplified importance
Dave Walton, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, discussed the multi-agency response to the Christmas floods of 2015.
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Flooding, on the other hand, is not new, but the insights at the show from the response to the Christmas floods amplified the importance of multi-agency approaches. It was a real test of collaboration, which when the Policing and Crime Bill gains Royal Assent, will
be a statutory duty for the blue light services. Having a topic focused morning meant that visitors with a particular interest in flooding or USAR (with the Bosley case study) could spend an extended time in the Learning Zone. Given the focus on learning, what approaches are the different services taking and how much are they learning from each other? The panel session format proved helpful to unpick the differences between the three blue light services. Using the audience participation tool, Sli.do, the facilitator was able to take questions from the audience via the online tool; the momentum during this session was great and with a mixture of online and audience questions, the panel really got under the skin of the issues.
Real success The Learning Zone was a real success in terms of numbers of visitors. The chance to hear quality speakers talking on a range of different subjects is a great way to complement a visit to the show. The range of delivery methods worked well. It was the first time the show had used Sli.do and while it’s a bit new for most, more than 100 questions were asked using the system over the two days, so it clearly appealed to some visitors. It is definitely something to use again. The challenge now of course is how to make the Learning Zone even better next year. The show organisers would value any feedback on this year’s approach, so do get in touch with the Event Director, David Brown, on davidbrown@brodenmedia.com
www.emergencyuk.com www.ukfrs.com www.jesip.org.uk December2016