SMOKE billowed from beneath the rubble of what emergency services were told was the collapsed remains of Rose City Shoppingworld, where citizens lay trapped and fighting to survive.

This was the brief handed down to teams from multiple agencies from across the South East Queensland who all pitched in to pull off the largest regional emergency rescue training operation in Warwick yesterday.

With 13 actors trapped in cars and under rubble, firefighters, police, paramedics and the SES all pooled their resources.

QFES Anzac Avenue station officer Shane Cartwright said staff came away from the training event feeling more confident about how to respond if an urban disaster were to take place in Warwick or another regional town.

"It was really good to see everyone coming together from different agencies and we realised each other's resources are valuable and we probably don't use them enough," he said.

"Everyone definitely came away feeling more confident that they can know how to apply their techniques and how the management of such an incident unfolds."

Technical rescue coordinator Mark Haddow said the operation involved some very technical rescues that pushed staff to their limits.

"They'll have to use shoring, concrete penetration and removal, packaging and extrication from the rubble."

Mr Cartwright thanked the Southern Downs Regional Council and MJ Smith for making the Warwick Waste Facility available for the training operation, which was the largest of its kind to be held in regional Queensland.

SDRC acting manager of environmental services Leo Jensen said he was glad to see the facility go to good use.

"The fact that they can get use out of the facility, it gives them a real opportunity to be collaborating and honing their skills," he said.

"The cooperation between everyone has been fantastic and Council has been only too pleased to make it available."