Every day, thousands of cars use the two tunnels at the Dartford River Crossing to make the short journey from Kent into Essex.
But what would happen if there was a fire in one of the tunnels?
On Saturday 10 May 2014, the emergency services closed the tunnels from 10pm until 4am to run a live overnight exercise dealing with a multi-vehicle road traffic accident and blaze.
New Fire Systems Tested
The scenario they were dealing with involved a van travelling in lane one suffering from a sudden tyre failure. This resulted in the vehicle swerving and colliding with a second vehicle. The ensuing smoke would activate the brand new fire suppression safety system which was installed as part of a £34 million safety upgrade.
Over 50 firefighters with seven fire engines and other specialist vehicles from Kent Fire and Rescue attended, along with representatives from the Police, Ambulance Service, Essex Fire and Rescue, Highways Agency, Environment Agency, local authorities, St John Ambulance, British Red Cross and the Casualties Union.
Why the new fire system is vital at the Dartford Tunnel
Kent Fire and Rescue Services spokesman Greg Theophanides said that the Dartford Tunnel plays a vital role in keeping the county’s road network moving but fires in tunnels can pose unique challenges. They could be the most difficult to deal with because it is harder for rescue teams to reach the scene and the confined conditions mean that it gets incredibly hot and humid.
"The activation of the new fire suppression system will knock the fire back quickly, making it safer for our fire-fighters and tunnel users."
Chris Brown of Connect Plus, which runs the tunnel on behalf of the Highways Agency confirmed that this type of simulation is essential to ensuring that incidents in the tunnel can be dealt with swiftly and effectively by testing out the emergency procedures and equipment of all the organisations involved.
Find out more about our fire systems for commercial properties in Kent.
Specialists in fire protection
For 3 decades, we have been providing businesses and organisations with competent, unbiased fire protection services. Our state-of-the-art fire alarms will ensure your property is safe from fire and meeting all necessary legal requirements. For a FREE site survey, please get in touch with us today.
