Fire services to get £80million Government funding for use of vital equipment

Published	28 July 2008

A three-year £80million funding programme for sustaining the fire and rescue services specialist resilience equipment was announced by Fire Minister Parmjit Dhanda today.

Since 9/11 (2001) the Government has been planning and establishing a more resilient fire and rescue service. This has resulted in the Communities and Local Government's investment of £1billion in integrated resources including the new national network of linked fire control centres and Firelink radio communications.

A key part of the resilience investment are the New Dimension units enabling mass decontamination of the public, high volume pumping, search and rescue from collapsed buildings, including the use of the USAR dogs, and equipment for detection and identification of unknown potentially dangerous chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear substances.

The programme has played a vital role in protecting people across the country in times of crisis including last summer's devastating floods where High Volume Pumps were crucially deployed in the worst-hit areas.

The government has already put in expenditure of over £200million for purchase of the New Dimension equipment, plus on-going training and support grants.

To make sure this high-tech equipment can be sustained for future emergencies the Government is now announcing an £80million cash injection for the host FRAs over the next three years.

The funding covers the costs including training, replacement of consumables such as oxygen, maintenance of special protective clothing, and USAR crewing and providing other specialist services.

The proposals over the three years total:

2008/09 - £23.9m
2009/10 - £27.8m
2010/11 - £28.3m

Fire Minister Parmjit Dhanda said:

"In times of crisis our firefighters need the latest equipment, from the high volume pumps that played such a key role in last summer's floods, to urban search and rescue dogs.

"That's why the Government invested over £200million in the New Dimension programme to equip the country's FRS for any kind of emergency from severe flooding, to rescuing people from collapsed buildings or other unstable structures and decontamination. These new capabilities can be used whatever the original cause - whether it is industrial accident, severe weather or terrorist activity.

"Now we're announcing £80million funding for FRS over the next three years and letting a long term maintenance contract to ensure we have are able to sustain a modern, well-prepared fire service."

Recent announcements by the Government relating to the New Dimension units include the funding of the urban search and rescue 'USAR' dogs and the additional distribution of 50 heavy duty lorries (known as prime movers) for the transportation of specialist equipment to deal with major incidents.

Also announced today is the letting of a long term maintenance contract to help ensure interoperability and national resilience requirements are maintained. The contract with VT will run for 16 years with a value of over £100million, with an option for up to four 1-year extensions.

The Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser found in his report that the HVPs proved to be invaluable in protecting critical local infrastructure during the floods of summer 2007.

A few examples of the New Dimension equipment in use which enable normal life and business to return to normal as quickly as possible reducing the impact on people's every day lives and businesses:

Detection Identification and Monitoring (DIM) equipment

July 2007 - In Coalville, Leicester a white powder was causing concern and a man was showing symptoms. The area was evacuated. The DIM vehicle was mobilised and the substance identified. The FRS estimated that the rapid identification of the substance - which turned out to be harmless - enabled business and life in the area to return to normal 12 hours faster than would have otherwise happened.

November 2007 - A similar incident in Newark, Nottinghamshire involving a white powder substance enclosed within a threatening letter. Again the FRS specialist estimated that the return to normal was 12 hours faster than without the DIM equipment.

December 2007 - In South Yorkshire suspect packages were causing concern at the mail sorting office during the very busy Christmas period. The fast identification enabled sorting to continue and avoided disappointing many people.

April 2008 - In Tamworth, Staffordshire a crew with DIM equipment were deployed to a school towing a substance spillage that released hydrochloric acid gas. The DIM kit meant that crews had appropriate protective clothing, could identify and deal with the chemical and gas.

Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) equipment

May 2008 - A mini digger part of the USAR kit was used to deal with burning rubber chippings in the county of Avon. The incident was located some one and a half miles from the main road and along a narrow path, where normal pumping appliances were unable to reach it. As a result the 'Bobcat' digger, part of the USAR equipment in Avon FRS, was mobilised. The mini digger was able to reach the site to dig out and turn over the several tonnes of rubber chippings allowing the fire to be extinguished.

April 2008 - A car transporter carrying nine vehicles started to collapse as it was travelling down a dual carriageway into Bath. The driver called 999. Avon FRS used a winch to stabilise the vehicle, and then mobilised the USAR team to ensure the vehicle would stay upright until a crane arrived from Taunton to take the cars off. The USAR team quickly arrived and shored and propped up the transporter and making sure it was safe. Once the crane arrived each vehicle was lifted off the transporter and driven away. (photos available).

In London USAR teams have been deployed a number of times to buildings that have collapsed during construction or refurbishment. Incidents include:

March 2008 - Balham to shore up building to prevent further collapse and create stable environment in which to work to rescue trapped builder.
January 2008 - In Purley a roof collapsed trapping man under steel beam.
January 2008 - In Battersea three storey building collapsed trapping man.
June 2007 - In central London SW1 a five storey building collapsed and a builder was rescued from between the fourth and fifth floors.

Notes to editors

1. The £80million funding will be allocated between individual FRAs based on various detailed criteria including the number and type of units that they have.

2. History of New Dimension project: The country's fire and rescue capabilities were assessed by the government-created New Dimension Group following the terrorist attacks in New York on 11 September 2001. The New Dimension programme was set up to ensure that England's country's Fire and Rescue Authorities could cope with major incidents.

3. A table of New Dimension equipment is available to download below: