Strategic Projects and Specialist Response
USAR : Team
Funding for crewing is provided by the Government but Brigade’s are allowed to decide for themselves what crewing systems to adopt. This allowed us to try some innovative solutions for providing a capability in excess of the national requirements while also achieving maximum benefits for HFRS and the people of Hampshire.
The structure of Hampshire’s USAR team was originally based around the personnel who voluntarily formed our UKFSSART team. It was vital that the extensive training, expertise and experience of these people was utilised in the development of this new capability. We also wanted to get USAR trained personnel to any incident in Hampshire very quickly to maximise the benefits of having this expertise.
A team structure and mobilising strategy was developed where USAR team members provide a blue light response from wherever they are based. This allows
The full team has 33 operational members and two non-operational support staff. The team is then split into three Sections (red, white and blue) of 11 each and rotate on a fortnightly basis.
The rotation has one section on immediate call with all 11 members required to respond.
The next section is on standby call for that fortnight, which means they are available to fill any gaps in the first call team for things such as sickness or courses etc.
The third section is on a complete stand down period.
This system ensures a minimum response of 11 and this can be increased quickly by the available second call team members.
In extreme situations the section that is stood down could also be recalled to duty.
The wholetime staff do a flexible 42-hour week working mainly weekdays. They do occasional evenings and weekends when awareness training is delivered to retained stations or there are team exercises.
The wholetime staff consists of a Station Manager, three Watch Managers, three Crew Managers and three Fire-fighters.
They are also split between the three sections and they manage the day-to-day activity, deliver training, maintain the vehicles and develop new systems etc.
All team members must be fully qualified USAR technicians but they then develop expertise in at least one specific area.
This has proved essential to achieve the level of expertise we believe is needed to successfully carry out some of the technical operations required.
Our minimum target for specialist skills in each section of 11 people is as follows:
At an incident the specialists most relevant to the task that needs doing will adopt the prominent role.
They also become the instructors and assessors in their specialist area to ensure the rest of the team have suitable levels of general training in the subject.
Some specialist roles are being developed nationally for the USAR project but Hampshire is quite a long way down this road already and continues to seek out opportunities to bring higher levels of expertise to the USAR environment.
civil resilience
overseas assistance
team structure
