With a fire breaking out in HMAS Adelaide, smoke in compartments and several casualties – the scene was set for another iteration of Exercise Vulcan Phoenix. 

Along with Fire and Rescue NSW, NSW Ambulance, NSW Police and the Australian Federal Police, personnel from HMA Ships Adelaide and Kuttabul worked together to put out fires and tend to casualties in the simulated scenario. 

Commanding Officer Kuttabul Captain Rebecca Levitt said the annual exercise was conducted in a safe and controlled environment while still testing preparedness in a realistic manner. 

“As Base Commander, it gives me confidence that our Navy will be able to respond correctly to any emergency and work closely with the emergency services,” she said. 

“Everyone did themselves proud today and we had an exceptional outcome.

“The safety of our people is paramount and being able to train with local emergency services reinforces our level of preparation.” 

'Training exercises like this help to build the skills, trust and collaboration between agencies, which is vital when we are called upon to respond to real-life emergencies.'

Fire and Rescue NSW Superintendent Trent Lawrence said the exercise was a great opportunity for his team to engage with the other services and Defence personnel. 

“Very rarely do we get an opportunity to test our skills on board, so the opportunity to come aboard HMAS Adelaide was a good test for our crews and all participating groups,” he said. 

“We rely heavily on the expertise of the Royal Australian Navy. They know what’s best for fighting and containing fires on their vessels, and the teams showed great interoperable skills during the exercise.”

NSW Ambulance Superintendent Stewart Clarke saw his members applying their knowledge and medical skills to treat ‘injured’ members of Adelaide. 

“Training exercises like this help to build the skills, trust and collaboration between agencies, which is vital when we are called upon to respond to real-life emergencies,” he said.

“Lessons learnt in these simulated scenarios enable NSW Ambulance to further strengthen the excellent out-of-hospital care we provide, resulting in better outcomes for patients.”

For NSW Police Inspector Stuart Byrnes, it was his first time participating in an exercise with the military. 

“It has been an excellent learning exercise for us,” Inspector Byrnes said. 

“Unusually, this was a bit of a support role for us and we were able to help our other agencies to meet their own learning goals too.”

Vulcan Phoenix is an ongoing opportunity for external emergency agencies and Navy to work together to develop shared skills during high-risk situations.