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Staffs receives water rescue training recognition |
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Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service has been awarded recognition as a Training Centre by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA).
The service’s Training and Development department now has the ability to deliver expert training in water rescue and to issue the appropriate certification. Two stations in the county, Tamworth and Newcastle under Lyme, are to be provided with brand new inflatable powerboats, and firefighters from these areas are currently undertaking specialised training to provide them with the necessary skills to attend flooding and water rescue incidents. Following an assessment of risk the powerboats have been strategically located at these stations. In addition to the new inflatable powerboats, the stations will be provided with equipment for performing rescues from mud and ice. Bob Russell, Head of Risk Reduction and Emergency Response, said: “The recognition forms part of this authority’s developing resilience to deal with flooding and water rescues within the county. With the onset of global warming we realise that we are likely to experience freak conditions on a more regular basis. We’re therefore putting plans in place to ensure that we are able to reduce the risk to the public by providing a response to flooding incidents with firefighters who are trained and equipped to the highest standards available in the UK.”
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