Grahams Fire Page

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

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.

USAR team mobilised to Milton Keynes

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

   

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.