Sheffield firefighters put rescue skills to the test

Crews from Parkway, Lowedges, Central and Birley Moor fire stations all attended ‘Exercise Escape’, which tested their ability to respond to a potential collision on the city's tram network.

The 45-minute scenario involved a tram train colliding with a scooter and resulting in a casualty becoming trapped underneath.

Stagecoach Supertram staff and South Yorkshire Police officers also took part in the exercise.

Station Manager Alastair Forster, said: “Our firefighters are ready to respond to a huge number of different incident types, from fires to road traffic collisions. We issue lots of guidance to our crews about the different sorts of scenarios they might come across in the line of duty, but really the best way of preparing our response is to test it out for real.

“We’re extremely grateful to Stagecoach Supertram for making the exercise as realistic as possible and providing some vital technical input on the day."

Katie Arthur, Head of Safety for Stagecoach Supertram said: “The safety of our passengers and other road users is our number one priority, which is why it is so important for us to take part in training exercises like these.

"By observing how the emergency services deal with incidents and through working closely with them, we can make sure we’re in the best possible position to deal professionally and appropriately should they occur in real life.”

South Yorkshire’s new Citylink tram trains will be used on the new tram train route from Sheffield to Rotherham, which is expected to open in 2018, once rail infrastructure work, testing and driver training is complete. The new vehicles are designed to run on the Stagecoach Supertram system and the national rail network.