The fire service is carrying out a training exercise in a block of flats in Basildon.

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service will be carrying out a training exercise in Brooke House on Friday.

Basildon Council has sent letters to residents living in the Basildon Town Centre building informing them that firefighters will be responding to a simulated fire in an empty flat on the tenth floor between 2pm and 4pm.

The fire service will be treating the drill as a real emergency situation in which the sprinklers and dry risers have failed.

This will give firefighters valuable training on extinguishing a fire in a tower block without the assistance of such safety measures.

Smoke used during the exercise should be contained within the flat, but Brooke House residents have been warned that it may affect the tenth floor landing. Hoses will also run up the fire escape stairwells to the floor.

The event will be marshalled by Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and Basildon Council. 

Councillor Kerry Smith, chairman of Basildon Council’s housing and community committee, said: “Shoppers and visitors to Basildon Town Centre can expect to see an increased presence of emergency services on Friday as part of a planned fire training exercise at Brooke House.

"We want to reassure them that it will not involve any real fires, although simulated smoke will be used.

"Brooke House residents have already been advised via posters and letters that there will be noise and disruption in the block during the drill.

“Essex County Fire and Rescue Service carries out hundreds of exercises every year in all types of properties.

"They provide firefighters with experience which could prove vital in a real-life situation and allow the service to practice its response, procedures and techniques.”

Leading firefighter Glenn Jackson, from Basildon Fire Station, added: “As a fire service, we are constantly practising our skills and it is very helpful when we can use a building like Brooke House to make it feel as real as possible.

"We want to thank Basildon Council for helping us organise it.

“We aim to keep disruption to a minimum, and the building and roads around Brooke House will be open as usual.

“If there are any residents who would like to talk to us about anything fire safety related, we will have some officers on site to talk to and give fire safety advice.”