EMERGENCY services in Labasa conducted a mock exercise at the weekend.
The exercise was attended by the Ministry of Health, Fiji Police Force, Land Transport Authority and the National Fire Authority.
Screeching sounds of brakes and wailing sirens echoed through Lajonia in Wailevu on Saturday as vehicles halted at the mock scene where a fuel tanker went off road and was leaking heavily.
Divisional traffic officer Northern, Inspector Sovita Moceituba said people were still seen within the 100 metre perimeter of the emergency area and this was a great concern.
"We had arrived at the mock scene well before the response time and carried out our awareness informing people to vacate the emergency perimeter," he said.
"Things that we take into account when attending such scenes are the wind direction as this will carry the fuel fumes and the possibility of an explosion which will affect people within the radius of the explosion.
"The response from other departments was really good," he said.
Divisional fire officer north John Pillay said the exercise was aimed at improving the officers response to such emergencies during real life situations.