Last week, Cumbria Fire and Rescue underwent vital risk training at Brunton Park.
They hold and prepare information for risk sites over Cumbria, where there would be significant risk to either firefighters, the public, infrastructure or the environment.
With Brunton Park being capable of holding crowds in excess of 10,000, they have tactical plans prepared and in place which are used in the event of any incident at Brunton Park.
Last Tuesday night, they simulated an intense fire under the East Stand leaving people unable to escape. The East Stand concourse was fully smoke-logged with visibility down to zero. The training aim for the exercise was to ensure their plans for an incident at Brunton Park were robust, accurate and able to meet the needs of an incident on the site.
Seven fire crews including Carlisle East, Carlisle West, Longtown, Alston, Silloth, Gretna and Langholm took part in the exercise in the fully smoke-logged building to deal with the simulated fire and rescue casualties. Also assisting with the exercise was Carlisle United’s stewarding and safety team, ensuring that their procedures aligned with Cumbria Fire and Rescue's to maximise crowd safety.
A command centre was set up on the other side of the ground with the Head Steward and Senior Managers from Cumbria & Scottish fire, which proved to be really successful. In total over 20 casualties which had been hidden throughout the concourse and side rooms were rescued and the fire was contained and extinguished.
The exercise was independently assessed by the operational training and assurance teams to ensure that they are safe and effective, and any learning points are picked up on and communicated out to all crews.
Cumbria Fire & Rescue's Watch Manager, Jackson Kidd said: “We’d just like to sincerely thank Carlisle United and their safety staff for allowing us to undertake realistic training at Brunton Park. Through training in realistic venues it allows us to be familair with the risks that the site may hold during an incident.
"Crews from Cumbria and Scottish Fire and Rescue worked incredibly hard with the stewarding and safety team to bring the simulated incident to a safe conclusion. We look forward to working with Carlisle United further during the 2025/26 season."
Carlisle United's Executive Support Officer, Pete Dunn said: "We were delighted to welcome Cumbria Fire and Rescue, along with Scottish Fire and Rescue to Brunton Park. The event proved valuable not only for the fire services but also for the football club.
"On the night, our stewards were in attendance, and the event was monitored via CCTV. Observing how the response unfolded and understanding the type of information requested, provided important insights that will strengthen our emergency response should a similar situation arise in the future."
