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Multi-Agency Flood Response Exercise a success

Date

On Wednesday 5th and Thursday 6th March 2025, a multi-agency exercise (Exercise Harvey) took place across East Sussex to test the response to a major flooding event. 

The exercise was a collaboration between the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (ESFRS). Utilising the National Asset Register, national teams were deployed to support local response efforts, testing operational capabilities through realistic and challenging water-based rescue scenarios. 

Exercise Director Station Manager David Washington said:  

“This collaborative training exercise provided an invaluable opportunity for our teams to test our preparedness and resilience.  

Our crews worked alongside other agencies, including local search and rescue teams and those on DEFRA’s flood rescue national asset register, HM Coastguard, SECAmb, Surrey & Sussex Police, Emergency Planning and fire and rescue services.  

The scenarios demonstrated our commitment to safeguarding communities and strengthening public safety through multi-agency and national resilience work, drawing on knowledge and experience from colleagues across agencies to enhance our future preparedness”. 

DEFRA’s National Resilience Exercise Coordinator - Flood Rescue Capability Officer Lloyd Hatton said:  

“This exercise was a great opportunity to test national scale flood incident procedures, which affords DEFRA the opportunity to observe, learn and improve, how national flood rescue assets operate as a collective”. 

Following the exercise, ESFRS and DEFRA are now actively capturing feedback to identify opportunities for operational learning and improvement. 

A huge thank you to the national teams, operational crews and officers, Joint Fire Control, National Resilience Fire Control and all participating agencies. We also sincerely appreciate the local groups and communities for the use of their waterways and surrounding areas for training, which played a vital role in making the exercise a success.  

Flood Safety Advice 

Flooding can happen anywhere, so it's essential to be prepared. 

Safety Tips: 

  • Avoid walking and driving through floodwater, there could be hidden hazards. 
  • Avoid areas where flooding is reported. Check the latest flooding information at: Check for Flooding 

Useful Links: 

  • Photo of red fire engine and red fire van on road with blue sign on road that reads EXIT SHA (Strategic Holding Area)
  • Silouhette of a fire drill tower and a fire and rescue search boat and vehicles in a yard
  • Front of red fire engine next to a white search and rescue van
  • Group of firefighters and search and rescue standing in front of two fire engines
  • A water rescue crew of three people. Two people in red helmets and one in bright hi viz yellow helmet looking out to a lake or river.
  • Fire and rescue van with red and yellow chevrons on the back. A red water rescue boat and red landrover in front of some housing.
  • Two people standing by river in front of a small white boat. In the backgrond on a muddy bank are a water rescue crew in red uniform with yellow kayaks.
  • A muddy river bank on a sunny day with fire and rescue crews performing a rescue scenario.
  • Coastguard and search and rescue vans and dinghy in a yard on a sunny day,
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