Mock alert for emergency services

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Emergency services across south Wales are holding a mock exercise on Saturday involving 60 simulated casualties.

Police, fire, ambulance and search and rescue teams are taking part in the major incident test at Jersey Marine and Briton Ferry in Neath Port Talbot.

The public are warned to be aware of a likely increase in sightings of emergency service vehicles in the area.

A spokesman said: "We all hope these types of incident will never occur, but we must be prepared to respond."

The mock major incident, known as Exercise Usar Cymru 2009, is the largest of its kind carried out in south Wales this year.

It aims to test the response of a number of agencies including the Welsh Fire Service Urban Search and Rescue (Usar) Team, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service and South Wales Police.

'Survivors'

The simulated casualties will also be helped by Wales' ambulance service as well as St John Ambulance Cymru and the British Red Cross Society.

Other organisations having their major emergency response put to the test include Neath Port Talbot council as well as the Army's 160 (Wales) Brigade and 203 (Welsh) Field Hospital (Volunteers), known as the Welsh medics.

The exercise will take place in the Jersey Marine area, away from the road.

The Quays at Briton Ferry will be used as a "survivor reception centre".

Eric Bellew, Welsh urban search and rescue team manager, said: "It will provide all partners with an opportunity to practice our combined response to a large scale emergency.

"The public need to be assured that their local emergency services and other key partners have robust plans in place and that these are practiced on a regular basis."