A state-of-the-art training centre for West Yorkshire’s Fire and Rescue Service was opened at its Birkenshaw headquarters on Thursday January 6th 2010 by Fire Minister Shahid Malik.
The Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) centre includes a specialist training rig, offices, classrooms, showers, washrooms, toilets and space for kit storage and refreshments It is part of a £2.3 million development which has facilities to allow the firefighters to practice heavy rescues from road, rail and aircraft incidents. A water sump has also been installed for rescues from partially submerged vehicles. The complex has a CCTV system which means the team can play back footage from exercises to assess their performance. West Yorkshire’s USAR team, which is on call for regional and national emergencies, has been based at Cleckheaton Fire Station but began moving on to the new site shortly before Christmas. West Yorkshire Chief Fire Officer Simon Pilling said: “Our USAR capability has gone from strength to strength in recent months, with the introduction of a search and rescue dog, also funded with central government support, and the opening of this splendid training facility.

West Yorkshire Fire Service Introduce Dave the search dog

Click image for Video from BBC

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) has welcomed a new recruit – a search and rescue dog. Dave, a 12monthold
Labrador, works with WYFRS’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team and is currently honing his skills to sniff out people trapped in collapsed buildings. Dave is one of a number of new canine recruits funded through a £20,000 investment from Communities and Local Government to support USAR teams around the country. He follows in the heroic paw prints of other search and rescue dogs used during the Boscastle floods in Cornwall and the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Centre. Since 9/11 the Government has invested heavily in specialist search equipment to ensure fire and rescue services have enhanced capability to deal with major incidents such as terrorist attacks,
industrial accidents, transport crashes and natural emergencies such as floods. This includes funding a wide range of specialist equipment and facilities for mass decontamination, urban search and rescue and high volume pumping. West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service’s USAR team is one of 20 strategically placed teams in the country which form the national response in the event of a large scale emergency. The team is made up of 30 USAR technicians who are trained in using specialist equipment. Dave is currently receiving highly specialised training by his dog handler and USAR technician, Nigel Gill, and his acute sniffing skills will be fully developed in about one year’s time. Deputy Chief Fire Officer Steve Beckley, Director of Operations, said: “When Dave’s training is complete, his acute sniffing skills will give us the best possible chance of locating and rescuing people quickly who are trapped. “When Dave has identified a location of where someone is injured or trapped he alerts the rest of the USAR team by barking. We are then able to use specialist cameras and listening devices to locate the casualty and carry out a rescue. Dave’s skills will complement the expertise of our existing USAR team.” West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service also cares for Tyne and Wear’s search and rescue dog, Spencer, a springer spaniel, who is on call 24 hours to respond to incidents in the North East. If faced with a major emergency, he can be transported quickly to wherever he is needed. Dave is just one element of a much wider investment by WYFRS into state of the art training facilities. West Yorkshire's new USAR training base will be unveiled to the public in January.

WEST Yorkshire's fire chiefs have won a 2m funding boost to build three new fire stations and a Search and Rescue training centre.Ministers yesterday gave the green light for a cash injection to build the new fire stations in Pontefract, Castleford and Normanton. The current fire stations in each town will be closed and replaced with new bases closer to areas where there is a higher fire risk. The funding will also pay for a new search and rescue centre at the brigade's Birkenshaw headquarters. The centre will help train the brigade's firefighters to use specialist equipment, including cutting tools and cameras which can search inside collapsed buildings.

Work already underway at FSHQ

Taken 14th April 2009

Taken 18th May 2009

Fire minister Sadiq Khan yesterday announced that 78m would be spent on upgrading fire stations and other buildings across the country. Every fire service is being handed at least 1m over the next two years. West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) is being handed 987,506 in 2009/10 and 1,413,276 in 2010/11. Locations A spokesman for WYFRS said the brigade was still negotiating over land and refused to confirm the locations of the new fire stations. However, it is believed Pontefract fire station will move to the former adult training centre on Bondgate. Castleford fire station is likely to move to Redhill Drive where it will also serve Airedale and Ferry Fryston. The spokesman said the stations needed to be relocated because large scale housing growth and development has meant that the highest risk areas in the north Wakefield district have changed. He added: "We welcome the funding". Fire minister Mr Khan said: "This investment for the fire services' estate gives them all the opportunity to upgrade their buildings. "This is additional money to every single Fire and Rescue Authority in the country. "Each area will be able to decide for itself whether this extra money is used to tackle the more serious repairs, replacements or upgrades, or provide additional facilities such as those for female firefighters, or those for the community in helping spread the fire safety message across all age groups."

All Crews now moved to this new USAR Base at Fire Service Headquarters

The Previous West Yorkshire USAR Base Cleckheaton Fire Station

The New Dimension programme is providing equipment and training to expand the national urban search and rescue (USAR) capability for the fire and rescue service.Following the events of September 11th, the thirteen brigades with international search and rescue teams (UKFSSART) expanded their remit to respond to collapsed structure incidents within the UK.To support this specialist capability, they received New Dimension interim urban search and rescue units with new tools and equipment.

A further six temporary vehicles were delivered to additional brigades to provide a national coverage.The units provided an interim capability while procurement of extra equipment and specially designed permanent USAR vehicles progressed, deployment is now underway

A full USAR unit will consist of three Prime Mover vehicles, five USAR modules and a canine support unit, together with a trained search dog

Module 1 - Has been designed to support USAR operations over the first few hours of a major structural collapse incident. The extensive equipment cache provides for scene assessment, technical search, electrical generation, scene safety, lighting, safe working at height, timber cutting, concrete cutting and drilling.

Module 2 - Comes with a Prime Mover and contains heavy cutting, heavy lifting, confined space and rope access equipment for use in major transport-related incidents, especially those involving rail or aircraft.

Module 3 - Has been developed to support module 1 at structural collapse incidents, and includes timber support, heavy breaking and breaching tools, heavy lifting and moving equipment, access platforms and lighting.

Module 4 - Consists of a Prime Mover, a module which carries the logistics and servicing structure and a four-wheel drive multi-purpose vehicle, which can be used for transporting equipment to an incident site, unloading modules and moving rubble to clear sites. This module can also be used as a lorry or tipper to remove rubble from a site.

Module 5 - Has a flat bed unit containing 10 tonnes of pre-cut timber for shoring and cribbing unstable structures.

Modules and Prime Movers
Each of the 184 Prime Mover vehicles provided by New Dimension can carry a range of modules — for mass decontamination, search and rescue or high volume pumping —so they can deliver the appropriate equipment to the scene of a major incident, to enable a flexible response and a safe, sustainable system of work. 20 full USAR units will be delivered over the next year to 17 Fire and Rescue Services across the country, replacing the 19 interim USAR units, which have already been delivered to strategic locations across England and Wales.

New Equipment carried on the USAR vehicles
The new equipment supplied to the fire and rescue service is designed for demanding and sustained use and includes:

Technical search cameras
Listening devices and communication probes
Cutting, drilling and breaking equipment
Timber cutting work stations
Propping and shoring equipment
Lighting and power generation
Hand tools
Heavy capacity air bags

First Line support vehicle will transport crew to scene carrying officers crew and equipment

Mercedes Vito 6 seater crew rapid response unit

Module 1 First arrival in Brigade WX54 VRM USAR1 013 POD
Module 1 - Has been designed to support USAR operations over the first few hours of a major structural collapse incident. The extensive equipment cache provides for scene assessment, technical search, electrical generation, scene safety, lighting, safe working at height, timber cutting, concrete cutting and drilling.

Module 2
Module 2 - Comes with a Prime Mover and contains heavy cutting, heavy lifting, confined space and rope access equipment for use in major transport-related incidents, especially those involving rail or aircraft.

Module 3
Module 3 - Has been developed to support module 1 at structural collapse incidents, and includes timber support, heavy breaking and breaching tools, heavy lifting and moving equipment, access platforms and lighting.

Module 4
Module 4 - Consists of a Prime Mover, a module which carries the logistics and servicing structure and a four-wheel drive multi-purpose vehicle, which can be used for transporting equipment to an incident site, unloading modules and moving rubble to clear sites. Prime Mover 106 with the Toolcat Unit (Module 4 MPV and Shelter) Images in training see below.

Module 5
Module 5 - Has a flat bed unit containing 10 tonnes of pre-cut timber for shoring and cribbing unstable structures.

High Volume Pumping Unit

On November 28th in 2006 at Lister Park Bradford. Water relay with th HVPU. Water relay was around the park, water was supplied from the lake and put back in the lake with the help of 2 x ALP's and Ground Monitors.

The Heavy Volume Pumping (HVP) Units. Each HVP consists of one Prime Mover (PM) and two pods. One pod has the pump which can pump up to 8000 litres/minute and a hose box containing 1 Km of 150mm hose. As a result each HPV can pump water up to 3Km. Each pod also has a hose retrieval unit at the front plus locker space for equipment.

The pump and hose boxes are stored side by side at the rear of the pod. When it arrives at an incident the PM drops off the pod, reverses up to the rear of the pod and picks up the pump which it takes to near the site of the water, the hydrosub (a submersible pump) is put into the water and this is connected to the pump unit by means of two hydraulic hoses which are on reels in the pump unit. The 150mm hose is also connected to the hydrosub. The PM then uplifts the pod and drives away from the pump paying out the hose. If more hose is required it collects the other pod with the 2Km of hose and runs it out.

Hose is layed around the area, ready to supply water to the ALP's at the Lakeside

Lastly hose retrieval all courtesy of HVPU.
Thanks to West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue and Brian Rhodes for their assistance

DETECTION, IDENTIFICATION AND MONITORING (DIM) UNITS

If a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incident occurs, it is essential that the risks to the public and rescue personnel can be quickly identified. (DIM) units have been located in the South East (2), West Midlands, East Midlands, Yorkshire & Humber, North West, and Wales. These were used in the London bombings on 7 July 2005 to ensure that there was no contamination present.
As part of the New Dimension mass decontamination facilities, a total of eighteen DIM units will be located on a regional basis and the trial units will be replaced by the final capability teams. Equipment being provided for each team includes an infrared spectroscope, radiation survey meters, gas detectors and instruments for chemical vapour and isotope identification. A van will contain the DIM equipment together with personal protective equipment for the operators.

Operational aims

The aim of the DIM roll-out is to provide a 24/7 response capability to a major national incident, involving actual or potential chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) or hazardous materials (Hazmat). The roll-out will increase FRS capability, improve firefighter safety and enhance the service provided to the public.

DIM – vehicles and training

DIM vehicles and equipment have been procured and initial equipment training is nearing completion. A total of 17 DIM vehicles will be operationally available at strategic locations across England by February 2007. Each DIM team is expected to consist of an average of 12 Hazmat officers, trained to use the full suite of equipment. They will provide a response capability to key areas across the country in the very early stages of potential or actual CBRN and Hazmat incidents. The DIM vehicles have been specifically designed and built to meet New Dimension and FRS requirements. Each DIM vehicle will contain:

a suite of detection, identification and monitoring equipment;
a selection of robust communication systems;
satellite telephones;
data transfer equipment;
battery charging facilities; and
an anemometer to determine local wind conditions.

Vehicle design

The DIM vehicle is based on a long wheel base high-backed van.The front of the vehicle is a three-person crew cab, with the communications and lighting systems of a modern FRS vehicle, and additional resilience in the form of a satellite telephone system. The middle area of the vehicle has been built to form an office environment, to provide DIM advisers with additional communications systems and a computer for analysing sample information. The communications systems will be resilient, to enable access to scientific support for the DIM advisers in most foreseeable scenarios. This is essential to inform key operational decisions, including the development of a safe system of work for the FRS and other agencies.

Iveco Daily 50 C17/AES DIM (MX56 NHC)Vehicle assigned to West Yorkshire

© Iain D Kitchen, 2006. All rights reserved.

Incident Response Unit

This is based at Dewsbury Fire Station

There are 80 Incident Response Units (IRUs) in England each of which has two Mass Decontamination Units capable of decontaminating 400 people an hour. The equipment was carried in standard size cages which are unloaded by a fork lift truck mounted on the rear of the appliance. In Scotland we were provided with three IRUs which are called Major Incident Units (MIU) that carry various sized cages which are unloaded by a fork lift truck mounted on the rear of the appliance. The appliance could have either the MDU cages or USAR cages on board. Most carried MDU equipment with the USAR equipment stored in an adjacent bay and if USAR was required MDU would be unloaded and USAR loaded onto the appliance.

So that's what's inside

Module 4 Toolcat (MPV)

Toolcat 5600 Multi Purpose Vehicle

This equipment is provided by the Home Office as part of the Urban search and Rescue Module 4. This vehicle is mounted on the pod which can be transported to the scene of any incident at speed. The Toolcat is securley positioned inside the pod along with all its other equipment. it has the ability of being used as a fork lift or earth mover with the bucket attachment fitted. It has three steering modes 2-Wheel for road travel, 4-Wheel steer for general site operations and Crab-steer to assist manoeurvring.

Unit arrives on site

The vehicle has a top road speed of 18miles per hour when it's high speed function is engaged. The bucket or Forks are controlled by the use of the center mounted joystick. The operating load on the lift arms with a standard dirt bucket is 680Kg and the maximum load that can be carried in the Cargo box is 907Kg. Module 4 also carries lighting and generator equipment. Once the work on site is underway the Module 4 when empty can be utilised for rubble removal. Markers inside the Unit clearly mark the safe working weight limits. Once filled the pod can be mounted on the Prime Mover and transported to a suitable tipping site before returning to the incident.

Toolcat with Fork Lift Attachment

Unit using the Bucket attachment to make a road over the mound of rubble

Demonstrating the climbing capability's in difficult terrain

And here to display thats it's not afraid of water either
Thanks to Driving School and Usar West Yorkshire Fire Service

USAR attend RTC at Queensbury

27/12/06 13:13
Halifax Road, Queensbury.
Road Traffic Collision - Single 4x4 vehicle involved in collision with a house. All persons released prior to arrival of brigade. Fire crews made scene safe with assistance of USAR team from Cleckheaton due to unsafe wall and structure.
Appliances from Illingworth (6701), Halifax (6401 6402), and Cleckheaton (6201 6212) along with USAR team (6299) from Cleckheaton.

Trapped Dog Rescue Drama

This is the moment a day-long operation to rescue a dog from a tunnel ended in success.Out into the open air, at last, came two-year-old show dog Megan, helped by the strong arms of Urban Search and Rescue Team chief Colin Brown.

The Patterdale Terrier had been trapped behind boulders after squeezing into a hole in the ground 100 feet down a cliff face. Megan sparked the mammoth rescue mission when she leapt out of owner Daniel Elston's car at teatime on Tuesday 27th February 2007, as he prepared to walk her on Altar Lane at the top of Altar Rock on the St Ives estate, Bingley. As Mr Elston frantically searched the top of the cliff, his other dog Maisie bounded off down the sandstone and millstone rock face to find her pal. Mr Elston, 25, of Popular House, Bingley, said: "She just ran off. Normally, she comes back to me straight away. "Maisie was standing on a rock down the ravine barking at her."But he could not find Megan and had to give up when it became too dark. But then West Yorkshire Fire Service's Urban Search Rescue Team joined Mr Elston and his friends in the search .This time the rescuers could hear Megan barking frantically. She was trapped in an underground tunnel. A nine-hour operation followed in which up to a ton of boulders were moved in torrential rain.Bradford fire station manager David Rawnsley and colleagues Paul Sweeney and Colin Brown both crawled into the crevice, to try to reach Megan. Mr Rawnsley said: "We were restricted by a large underground boulder we had excavated. We knew the dog was behind it and moving around." Firefighters used a special camera known as a "snake eye" to locate the dog. Peering in just inches away from Megan's whiskers, they tried whistling and calling the dog's name. They even tried to tempt her out with a tuna sandwich.
Finally, after the rescuers edged away some more of the boulders, the terrier squeezed her way out and was reunited with her owner, 24 hours after her ordeal began.

Buiding Collapse Incident USAR In Attendance

Sawrey Place, Melbourne Place, Little Horton, Bradford

27/05/07 09:06

Building Explosion - Total collapse of a bungalow approx 5m x 4m with possible persons reported.

Crews involved in search and rescue and shoring property to assist in searching. Search proved no persons involved. Gas isolated and made safe. Police made road closures and evacuations of adjoining properties till area declared safe.

Appliances from Bradford (4001 4002 1002 OSU), Odsal (4701 4702), Cleckheaton (6201 6212 MRU), Stanningley (3101), Wakefield (1001 OSU) and USAR Team from Cleckheaton with all vehicles attended.

Dog Rescue Incident 29.10.07

The Call was received at 09:20Hrs. The dog a little terrier called Poppy was trapped underground were it had been since the day before. A crew from Batley Fire Station attended but realised that due to the position of the dog further assistance would be required. A Technical rescue officer was mobilised and required the further assistance of the Urban Search and Rescue Team from Cleckheaton to attend with extra specialist equipment. Poppy was finally released from the hole at 11:36 Hours, no worse for it's ordeal and reunited with its owner Steve from Heckmondwike who had been in attendance during the rescue operation.

"Poppy" is returned to it's thankful owner Steve

Rescue crews from Batley and Cleckheaton USAR

Firefighters and the Urban Search and Rescue team battled to ensure the survival of casualties

Three women and a baby and a ten-year-old girl were trapped in two cars, while a mother and her children were in a bus crash.They assessed and prioritised the incidents and then used cutting equipment to extricate the survivors, choosing to firstly save the baby in its car seat. Latest figures show for every two people West Yorkshire firefighters rescued from homes last year, they rescued 15 from road traffic collisions. Watch manager Mick Brennan, of its road traffic collision department, cast his expert eye over officers' progress at the Brigade Headquarters in Birkenshaw.

He said: "We try to ensure all the emergency agencies that attend road traffic collisions know exactly what to do in the correct sequence, which is called the saver system. "We regularly hold events where we invite paramedics, medical teams and highways agencies to attend multi-discipline training sessions. The day involved having a number of casualties in varying degrees of entrapment and the teams needed to identify the injuries they have sustained, identify how long extraction will take and extricate the casualties in a very controlled, methodical manner."We then evaluate to ensure any learning points are picked up and we address that in further training courses. As part of the Road Traffic Action Reduction Group, we are trying to make people aware of their actions when they are on the road. It is very important to carry out these exercises. We are hoping that we make people aware of driving conditions and things that could happen if they behave incorrectly while they are on the road." Ten-year-old actress Verity Pearson, who has appeared in Casualty and The Royal, took centre stage as a car crash victim. The youngster was rescued after 20 minutes, but she was in extra safe care as her firefighter father, crew manager Tony Pearson, was on hand. She said: "It was really good, it was really realistic. When they lifted you up, they were so careful and really nice. They kept talking to you, they did everything to make you feel better. The make-up looked ace. Being in the car was a really good experience."

Click here for more images from the scene

Leeds Gas Blast Possible Persons Trapped USAR Required 22/04/08

A fire officer who was first on the scene after a huge Leeds pub explosion said today it was "a miracle" nobody was killed or seriously injured.The blast, which reduced the Florence Nightingale to rubble, shook three 18-storey tower blocks and resulted in five people needing treatment at nearby St James's Hospital for "superficial injuries". Watch manager Phil Panther, who was first on the scene, spoke of his horror when he arrived at the devastated site on Beckett Street, directly opposite the busy hospital. Police and firefighters launched a major operation immediately after the explosion to protect hospital patients, staff and residents in the densely populated area.The remains of the pub were being checked by sniffer dogs to ensure the building was empty at the time of the blast.The pub roof was blown off, upper floor windows were shattered and debris strewn across the immediate area causing damage to several cars. Windows were also blown out at the neighbouring Fountain Head pub which was open for business at the time of the incident. Though police have established that the explosion which ripped apart the pub at 1.30pm on Tuesday injuring five people involved gas, what led to the build-up and ignition has yet to be established.