Technical Rescue Skills

Roedd y cais yn llwyddiannus.

Dear Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service,
Freedom of Information Request - Technical rescue skills within your FRS.
I would like to make a freedom of information request to you regarding the technical rescue skills and services that your FRS provides. I would be very grateful if you will provide responses to the following questions;
1. Please list the range of technical rescue services that your FRS provides(ie line rescue, water rescue, USAR, Animal rescue etc).
2. Please state what stations carry out which technical rescue services.
3. Please advise if your firefighters/staff directly provide these services or whether or not an external organisation is contracted in.
4. Please advise whether your staff who carry out these services are whole time or retained duty systems.
5. Please state the duration of initial training courses for each skill set as well as the continuity training commitment.
6. Please state whether firefighters/staff who undertake these technical rescue skills are also required to undertake full operational firefighting duties.
7. Please state whether firefighters/staff who undertake these technical rescue skills are also required to undertake normal CFS duties.
8. Please state the terms and conditions of employment for firefighters/staff who undertake these technical rescue skills ie secondary contracts.
9. Please explain what additional payments (skills payments if any) exist for firefighters/staff who undertake these technical rescue skills.
10. Please explain if your FRS operates skills payments for any additional roles undertaken by firefighters/staff ie LiFE trainers, CBRN/Hazmat teams, aerial appliances, HV pumping etc.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to a reply at your earliest convenience.

Yours faithfully,

Joe McMahon

Louise Goodhead, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service

I am away from the office until Tuesday, 7 April 2015 and will deal with
any queries on my return. If your email relates to a request for
information made under either the Freedom of Information Act, DPA or
Environmental Information Regulations, please contact Managment Support on
01743 260205. thanks Louise

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Louise Goodhead, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service

Dear Joe

Thank you for your enquiry with regard to Technical Rescue Skills within
Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service.

 

1.                   Please list the range of technical rescue services
that your FRS provides (i.e. line rescue, water rescue, USAR, Animal
rescue etc).

 

Water Rescue, Water First Responders (this area is not technically for
rescue but used to stabilize a situation for the Water Rescue unit to
arrive), Large Animal Rescue (LAR), Line Safety (this area is for the
safety of Firefighters but can be adapted to perform technically
restricted rescues), Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) above ground only (and
used to stabilize a situation until the full USAR team arrive from another
Brigade), Incident Response Unit (IRU) (this unit is for any large scale
Incident which would require a Decontamination response).

 

2.                   Please state what stations carry out which technical
rescue services.

 

Wellington Fire Station (Wholetime and Retained) deal with the LAR and
USAR. They also have Water First Responders capabilities. Shrewsbury Fire
Station (Wholetime and Retained) has the Water Rescue unit where personnel
are trained in Swift Water Techniques and Boat handling. Telford Fire
Station (Wholetime) has Water First Responders capabilities and the IRU.
These technical rescue services are carried out by Wholetime staff at each
station; all staff (including Retained duty system staff) are trained in
Line Safety and also Animal Handling techniques (AR1).

 

3.                   Please advise if your firefighters/staff directly
provide these services or whether or not an external organisation is
contracted in.

 

Firefighters at Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service carry out these tasks.

 

4.                   Please advise whether your staff who carry out these
services are whole time or retained duty systems.

 

Please see the response to question 2.

 

5.                   Please state the duration of initial training courses
for each skill set as well as the continuity training commitment.

 

Swift Water Technicians (SWTs) have an initial 4 day course with a
recertification after 3 years of a 3 day course. Boat operators are the
advanced SWTs and have an extra initial 4 day course and again
recertification after 3 years of a 3 day course. Line Safety and Water
First Responders are separate 2 day initial courses which are followed up
by a 2 day in-house modular course every 4 years which incorporates both
skills. Large Animal Rescue is an initial 4 day course (AR2) and the
instructors receive an extra 1 week course (AR3) this is accredited by the
British Equestrian Trade Association, the AR1 Animal handling techniques
is a 2 hour presentation to all personnel.

 

6.                   Please state whether firefighters/staff who undertake
these technical rescue skills are also required to undertake full
operational firefighting duties.

 

Full operational duties are carried out alongside the technical skills.

 

7.                   Please state whether firefighters/staff who undertake
these technical rescue skills are also required to undertake normal CFS
duties.

 

All duties of a firefighter are carried out including CFS duties.

 

8.                   Please state the terms and conditions of employment
for firefighters/staff who undertake these technical rescue skills ie
secondary contracts.

 

The additional skills are covered under the ‘Grey book terms and
conditions for Firefighters’.

 

9.                   Please explain what additional payments (skills
payments if any) exist for firefighters/staff who undertake these
technical rescue skills.

 

The only additional payments are received by the Boat Operators as an
Additional Responsibilities Allowance.

 

10.               Please explain if your FRS operates skills payments for
any additional roles undertaken by firefighters/staff ie LiFE trainers,
CBRN/Hazmat teams, aerial appliances, HV pumping etc.

 

Please see the response to question 9.

 

Yours sincerely

Louise Goodhead

Planning and Programmes Officer

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service

 

 

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