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The Service
Specialist Response - Specialist Rescue
animal rescue
water and flood rescue
trench rescue
confined space rescue
rope rescue
chainsaw capabilities
urban search and rescue
This is another area where all fire crews have limited capability but are not equipped or trained for extreme confined spaces. USAR work often involves confined spaces so team members are already trained in this area.
With the following training and specialist equipment:
the USAR team can provide capability at all four categories of confined space incidents:
Hampshire’s USAR Team has a number of dedicated four gas monitors (Zellweger) which are issued to Special Equipment Units to provide the basis for all confined space operations safety procedures. This safety critical item provides the operator with a detailed account of the environment, the levels of exposure and a means of recording the readings over the working duration.
Hampshire is one of the first Fire Services to provide an Airline Rescue system in the country. This was developed in 2008 to provide a means of safety in the most difficult categories of confined space rescue.
Airline provides an uninterrupted air supply and is only used when Breathing Appartus is impractical or when a greater working duration ‘under air’ is required. The system allows four operators to enter the risk area with an emergency team of two on stand-by.
The maximum distance that can be negotiated is 90 metres and all entrants have hard line communications (con space) which are intrinsically safe and they can communicate with a dedicated communications officer via throat mics and ear hangers.
The Bandolier escape set allows easy disconnection of the system if emergency exit is required (approximately 22 minutes duration) and enables a harness to be worn under the set for rope access work.
An Airline team consists of 10 USAR personnel which includes a team leader, dedicated entry control and a specialist rope access advisor who have all undergone further training.
There are a variety of specialist rescue tools available to undergo the most difficult of casualty entrapments in confined spaces, these include battery operated hydraulic rescue tools, reciprocating saws and hot cutting equipment.
There is also enhanced casualty packaging equipment available as Hampshire USAR team prides itself on all incidents treated as ‘casualty centered rescues’.
