#CapCut *50th Grouping of Firefighters Stages Major Rescue Simulation at Catherine Royal Lodge, Up Station Bamenda* *Bamenda, Up Station – October 8, 2026* – The 50th Grouping of Firefighters covering the North West and West Regions on Wednesday, October 8, 2026, staged a dramatic live fire and rescue simulation at Catherine Royal Lodge, near the Military Court at Up Station, Bamenda. The high-intensity exercise, which is part of a larger regional drill running from October 6 to 9, 2026, in Bamenda, Dschang and Bafoussam, is aimed at testing the operational command and field efficiency of rescue officers. Speaking to the press, the Commander of the 50th Grouping, Captain Zemba Franck, said the exercise falls within the continuous professional training of personnel. "We started the first phase yesterday with theoretical courses in the classroom, and in the afternoon, the practicals, where we put these officers in real situations to see how they react on the field," he said. According to him, the exercise has three key objectives: to strengthen the operational capacities of officers, to evaluate their reaction when faced with a degraded, real-life emergency situation, and to test and run-in some of the unit's specialized equipment. The scenario at Catherine Royal Lodge simulated a fire incident caused by a gas leak, with risk of propagation to upper floors and several persons trapped. The exercise began with a distress call from the receptionist to the rescue unit. Minutes later, the 501st Army Rescue Unit of Bamenda, under the field command of Captain Ayong Thierry, stormed the premises with a water tanker. The head of the exercise met the receptionist in tears, gathering critical information — the number of occupants, the location of the electricity meter, and the presence of gas bottles — before deploying his men. Rescuers scaled the storey building, evacuating trapped occupants, administering emergency first aid and moving them into a standby ambulance. The most dramatic moment came when a man was spotted stranded on the last floor, crying for help from the balcony. The normal stairways were considered blocked by fire, forcing the deployment of a motor ladder — being seen in action for the very first time in Bamenda. The ladder was stretched to the top floor and the trapped man was successfully brought down to safety. The exercise was a powerful demonstration of preparedness, professionalism and rapid response capacity of the Army Rescue Unit, while also sensitizing hotel operators and the public on emergency preparedness. *By TEBECK TV Bamenda.* - @tebecktvbamenda