Students go from classroom to crime scene as they tackle immersive major incident scenario

Public Services students recently took part in an immersive major incident and crime scene scenario designed to test their teamwork, communication and emergency response skills in a highly realistic environment. The large-scale exercise also involved students from Health and Media Makeup, creating a valuable cross-college collaboration to bring the scenario to life. 

The first stage of the exercise focused on a major incident involving a staged road traffic collision and crime scene. On arrival, students were required to inspect the area, identify hazards and secure the scene. They then began gathering information from witnesses and injured victims to piece together the events that had taken place.

Public Services Programme Director, Ryan Wood, was behind the success of this event, carefully creating the mock scene for students to investigate. The staged environment included scattered rubbish, smashed glass, a blood-covered knife and a crashed vehicle, alongside indicators highlighting hazards such as leaking fluids and smoke coming from beneath the bonnet. These details encouraged students to assess risks, analyse the scene and piece together what had happened. Working under pressure, students relayed information back to their commanders, who then liaised with one another and the student paramedics from our Health department.

Level 3 Public Services student, Max, told us how he enjoyed the addition of having real ‘actors’ to work with. He commented: “The thing I enjoyed the most is probably interviewing the casualties. They had real-life makeup on, so it was very real. They were also screaming, shouting and challenging us, which made it feel much more realistic.

“By having casualties, it made the whole scenario feel a lot more real and showed us how we’d have to respond to victims and witnesses in real life. It also helped us gather a lot more evidence, which was really useful.”

T Level Health students played the role of paramedics, assessing casualties, treating injuries and bandaging wounds at the scene before transporting victims to the Health Simulation Ward for triage and further treatment. The hospital-style environment was designed to replicate a busy A&E department, helping students gain experience in working within a fast-paced clinical setting.

The simulated injuries included chemical burns, deep lacerations and severe trauma injuries, all made to look highly realistic thanks to the incredible work of our Theatrical, Special Effects, Hair and Media Makeup students. Their special effects makeup skills, combined with their acting performances as victims, added another layer of realism to the experience and challenged students to respond professionally in high-pressure situations.

The second half of the day shifted focus to the role of Crime Scene Investigators. Half of each Public Services group was tasked with searching a suspect’s flat for evidence (again, carefully staged by Ryan and his team). Students documented the scene, identified and seized potential evidence in a professional manner and carefully considered which items may assist in the investigation.

The scene contained a variety of evidence, including clothing, fingerprint-covered glasses, official documents and even diary entries that gave insight into the suspect’s state of mind before the attack.

Meanwhile, the remaining students processed the suspect. Tasks included fingerprinting, DNA recovery, swabbing and hair combing procedures. A live actor played the role of the suspect, requiring students to communicate clearly and professionally while carrying out investigative procedures.

Students were supported throughout the experience by Crime Scene Investigators from Kent Police, who provided genuine evidence bags, swab kits and expert guidance to ensure the scenarios reflected real industry practices as closely as possible.

Victoria James, Crime Scene Investigator with Kent Police, praised the students for their enthusiasm and engagement throughout the exercise. She said: “It’s really important for students to get hands-on experience because it gives them a snapshot of what these jobs are really like and helps them decide what career path they may want to follow. Crime scene investigation plays a key role across many emergency services, so having an understanding of this side of the work is incredibly valuable.

“The students have been really engaging today and asked some excellent questions. Experiences like this allow them to try something they wouldn’t normally have access to and realise just how many different career opportunities are available to them.”

The entire event was carefully designed to create an authentic assessment experience. Students were given no prior knowledge of the scenario, the suspect or the evidence they would encounter, testing their observation skills, ability to remain focused under pressure and attention to detail.

On discussing the success of the event, Ryan said: “Our major incident and crime scene scenario is an extremely unique and beneficial assessment which allows our students to experience and respond to realistic Public Services situations. To enhance the experience, we are regularly supported by Crime Scene Investigators from Kent Police, ensuring our learners gain current and valuable first-hand industry experience.

“We first introduced this scenario three years ago and it has continued to grow and improve each year. It always receives incredibly positive feedback from our students, and this year’s addition of Health, and Media Makeup students helped make the experience even more realistic and immersive.”

This year marked the first time the event included professional-style special effects makeup and live casualty actors, as well as Health students taking on the role of paramedics. The continued collaboration between departments has helped the experience become bigger and more ambitious each year, with plans already underway to expand it even further in the future.

Explore our Public Services courses