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Haiti

Hampshire firefighters arrive home...

25 Jan 2010

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Three Hampshire firefighters who have been helping with search and rescue operations in Haiti have returned home to the UK.

Firefighters Keith Bellamy, Dave Heybourne and John Taylor departed Port-au-Prince yesterday (Friday) and arrived back at Gatwick this morning (Friday 22 January). (In the picture are (left to right) Firefighter Dave Heybourne, Dr Nick Maskery (BASICS Hampshire), Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service Chief Officer John Bonney, Firefighter Keith Bellamy and Firefighter/Medic John Taylor. The picture was taken by David Dyson of the Department for International Development.)

The three men have been part of a team of 64 firefighters deployed to Haiti after an earthquake measuring between 7.0 and 7.2 on the Richter Scale struck the Caribbean island on Tuesday, January 12.

In the immediate aftermath the Department for International Development (DfID) deployed the United Kingdom International Search and Rescue Team to Haiti to assist.

Speaking of the team’s return, Chairman of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority, Councillor Royston Smith, said:

“The people of Hampshire can be proud of the efforts of their Fire and Rescue Service’s search and rescue professionals. Their skills and experience have been put to good use in helping the people of Haiti at a time of dire need.

“I would like to thank them on behalf of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Authority for the work they have done both in Haiti and at the UK ISAR coordination centre here in Hampshire.”

The United Kingdom International Search and Rescue (UK ISAR) team is made up of 13 Fire and Rescue Services from around the country.

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Nine of those Fire and Rescue Services had firefighters in Haiti, including Mid and West Wales, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, South Wales, Greater Manchester, Kent, West Sussex and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Services.

The UK side of the rescue effort was coordinated at Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service’s headquarters in Eastleigh.

Chief Officer of Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, John Bonney, said:

“Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service was off call for this deployment after attending the Indonesian earthquake last October. However, we still sent a team of three firefighters with the ISAR team to Haiti as well as coordinating the effort from the UK. I believe this shows a tremendous professional dedication from our urban search and rescue team.

“Despite extremely difficult conditions and frustrations I believe the team has made a significant contribution to helping the Haitian people.”

During their time in Haiti UK ISAR made three successful recoveries; two-year-old Mia on Friday, 15 January and then a further two rescues on Saturday, 16 January, of a 55-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman, all of whom were pulled from under rubble.

They also assisted in offering medical assistance to scores of people seriously injured by the earthquake.

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