A GRIM sight greeted passers-by at Wokingham fire station on Saturday afternoon.
But there was nothing to worry about.
The bruised and battered ‘victims’ being carried or dragged out of the building were actors from Colnbrook-based amateur drama group CAST.
{{{image.1312050}}}
Alison Penfold, CAST member who set up the event with Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue, said: “We were delighted to take part in the exercise.
“The firefighters were brilliant and knew just what to do.”
Fire officers arriving for their shift knew to expect an exercise of some sort.
What they weren’t aware of was that their bosses had arranged for a terrified looking actor to leap out in front of them as they arrived, shouting that the building was on fire, with 20 people trapped inside.
It was all systems go as they leaped into action to help the trapped ‘victims’ who were convincingly made up to suggest they had cuts, burns and other injuries.
And afterwards, once the firefighters had tried out their rescue and medical skills, there were cups of tea all round.
For more information, visit: rbfrs.co.uk, and search for CAST Colnbrook on Facebook.
