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Crowds gathered to watch firefighters tackle a simulation blaze in a training exercise on one of the county's most recognisable landmarks. Fake smoke billowed from Chichester Cathedral and West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service crews used an aerial ladder platform to douse the "fire" from above last night. Dozens of firefighters worked alongside police and ambulance crews as the training exercise also included the rescue of a young person trapped inside.

Crews used an aerial ladder platform to assess the extent of the 'fire' (Image: Sussex News and Pictures) People lined West Street behind barriers and looked up as smoke began to rise from the historic building. The training exercise was one of the biggest in several years for West Sussex Firefighters and was based on learning from the Notre Dame fire in 2019. READ MORE: 'I experienced what a real ship fire would be like at sea' Its aim was to test the emergency procedures that are currently in place for incidents involving Chichester Cathedral.



Crews entered the cathedral (Image: Sussex News and Pictures) Huge multi agency exercise in #chichester ⁦ @WestSussexFire pic.twitter.com/OZPpZZf90g — eddie mitchell (@brightonsnapper) May 20, 2024 Ahead of the session, Anton Mezzone, station manager for Chichester Fire Station, said: “Crews regularly train and prepare for incidents at fire stations, but being able to practice these skills with our partners in a realistic environment is the best way to test and improve our plans.

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