Five confirmed hurt in West Ottawa Police training exercise

CTV Ottawa: SIU to investigate training accident Joanne Schnurr’s update on the status of the injured paramedics and Rick Deering of the SIU explains his investigation.

Three Ottawa Paramedics and two Ottawa Police Officers are confirmed injured in a training exercise in West Ottawa.

The accident happened at the area of March Road and Maxwell Bridge at about 10:07 a.m.. A witness reports hearing an explosion.

Three paramedics were taken to the Queensway Carleton Hospital. Two were later transferred to the General site of the Ottawa Hospital in critical but stable condition. The third paramedic was treated and discharged.

'(Police and paramedics) were conducting entry training using energetic materials and a controlled explosion when the injuries occurred,' Ottawa Police say.   The exercise involved staging a forced entry into an abandoned home in Kanata.

Four patients were treated at the Civic Site for less serious injuries.

The officers hurt include members of the Ottawa Police tactical unit.

The injuries to the police officers are minor, Police say.

They were treated on scene and have been taken to hospital with the help of an Ottawa Police escort of rolling roadblocks.

Ottawa's Chief Paramedic Anthony DiMonte is at the Ottawa Hospital but would not comment on the extent of the injuries.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson tweeted, "Our city's thoughts and prayers are with the first responders who have been injured today at a training exercise"

There is a heavy police presence with a commend centre in the area of March Road and Maxwell Bridge.

More to come...