JVN Blog

It is widely known that, arguably, the Japanese word for crisis – “kiki” – is comprised of their words for danger and opportunity. One of our star members of the JVN Ad Hoc Volunteering Squad, Sue Krisman, recently volunteered at an event led by the London Resilience Partnership, in conjunction with emergency services across the capital, called Exercise Unified Response. Widely covered by the media, the event earlier this months simulated the collapse of a major building, incorporating heavy transport and mass casualties. JVN was called upon to provide “volunteers of faith” to assist in the operation. Sue was one of these, and here she tells us about her experience of a crisis becoming a great opportunity for her.

This extraordinary exercise took place in March at a disused power station site in Dartford.  It was huge and so was the project.  For eighteen months the scene had been set for an underground train disaster in which it was purported that many died and there were hundreds of injuries. There was a mock-up of Waterloo Station as well as all the other structures.

You cannot imagine what a fleet of  vehicles were involved.  Fire Engines, ambulances, food trucks, so many that it caused a terrible hold up and grid lock of all traffic on the first day.   The fire brigade, the police, special units, a coroner, doctors, nurses, psychiatrists and myriad other workers and volunteers were hard at work for four days, digging out the ‘wounded’ and helping them to safety. The wounded volunteers were made up by over a hundred make-up artists on site. Helping the ‘wounded’ was harder than it sounds in such circumstances – coping with the bodies, tri-age was performed, then the trips to the hastily built hospital on site or to the mortuary, rush and scurry to take the most seriously injured to other hospitals, to give water and food to those trapped, a huge hall full of people working with the walking wounded to get them back to their homes with very few of their possessions – passports, credit cards, money,  phones all lost in the debris.

It was frighteningly realistic and horrifying as well as inspirational, watching the coordination and dedication of these workers who had often had experience of real disasters to teach the others.

We were representing JVN as laymen dedicated to comfort the bereaved and wounded, most of whom would be in shock, and to listen for the ominous knocking on the walls of the crushed carriages to alert the workers where to dig.  They had required compassionate people, and the marvellous Salvation Army (who are prominent at all disasters) had suggested that people of faith would be the best at this and approached each faith for volunteers.  Many had said they would be there but the two from JVN were the only ones who came. It was a stunning example of volunteering, learning and being glad to be able to do it.

If you have been inspired by Sue’s experience and would like to get involved in other opportunities on an ad-hoc basis, contact Mike Silverstone at mike@jvn.org.uk or call 020 8203 6427.