PAPER D

Committee: FIRE AND PUBLIC SAFETY SELECT COMMITTEE

Date: 17 JUNE 2002

Title: THE SEAVIEW SERVICES COACH INCIDENT

REPORT OF THE CHIEF FIRE OFFICER

SUMMARY/PURPOSE

To brief Members on the Seaview Services coach incident, which occurred at Upper Gills Cliff Road, Ventnor on Tuesday 28^th May and provide an opportunity to scrutinise the response by the agencies involved in the operation and recovery.

BACKGROUND

At approximately 11:07 am on the morning of Tuesday, 28^th May, a Seaview Services coach carrying twenty-nine elderly holiday makers travelling from Newport failed to negotiate the bend at the junction of Upper Gills Cliff Road and Ocean View Road Ventnor, but managed to come to a halt overhanging properties fifteen feet below a cliff garden.

The Emergency services were quickly on the scene and comprised:

· Two pumping appliances from Ventnor together with the rescue tender and one pumping appliance from Newport.

· Three front line paramedic ambulances and two passenger transfer service vehicles.

· Police officers.

Following a dynamic risk assessment at the scene, the Fire and Rescue Services took the decision to set about securing the vehicle to impede any further movement and evacuate three properties under the coach. The fact that there were no injured coach passengers was established prior to the ambulances arriving; therefore St Mary’s Hospital was not placed on alert.

Emergency Planning was notified of the incident at 11:40 hours and alerted to the possible need for a Survivor Centre to be established for the coach passengers and evacuees from the properties at risk below the coach.

The initial element of the Temporary Accommodation Plan was activated with a Council Liaison Officer put on standby to go to the scene if required. County Transport was requested to provide a bus and the Winter Gardens was made ready to receive the coach party and any evacuees from the properties at risk.

Fire Control Centre made arrangements for heavy lifting gear, informed BT of a damaged roadside junction box and Highways for road stability and the police closed the road in the immediate vicinity. Due to the awkward position of the vehicle and the crane the officers and appliances stood by during the three hour recovery operation.

By 12:30 the Police had made the decision to move the coach party using the attending ambulances to Ventnor Police Station to take witness statements. Shortly afterwards Emergency Planning was stood down from the recovery phase.

Fortunately none of those on the coach needed hospital treatment.

CONCLUSION

This incident had the potential for resulting in a large number of casualties and fortunately this was not the case. Nevertheless, it provided an opportunity for all the emergency services to test their plans for dealing with such occurrences and any learning points gained will enable these plans to be fine tuned for the future.

Contact Point: Mike Jolliff, Tel 82(3114)

RICHARD HARDS

Chief Fire Officer