Specialised Units
Urban Search and Rescue (USAR)
Our USAR teams are based in Droitwich. They are able to respond to any major unstable or collapsed structure and major transportation incident as part of a national response.
New skills developed include working in confined spaces, safe working at heights carrying out search and rescue operations in a multi-level collapsed building, technical search, shoring, breaching and breaking skills.
Swift Water Rescue Teams
The Service has three Swift Water Rescue Teams. They are based in Hereford, Evesham and Worcester.
The teams use 4.6-metre inflatable Eurocraft boats and a range of other equipment for rescuing people from mud and fast-moving and still water. They are capable of responding to incidents both in and out of the county and have already assisted at a number of major floods throughout the country.
Water First Responder Teams
The Water First Responder teams are equipped to respond to a variety of incidents in water and complement the skills of our Swift Water Rescue Teams. The Service’s water rescue capability is being called into action more and more as our climate changes.
Rope Rescue Teams
The Rope Rescue teams are based in Malvern and Droitwich. The team trains with specialist rock climbing equipment and can rescue casualties from quarries, rock faces, sewers, silos and cranes.
Environmental Protection Unit (EPU)
The Service can deploy two EPUs, from Wyre Forest Fire Station or Tenbury Fire Stations.
They are supplied by the Environment Agency for use at incidents where hazardous chemicals may be present or for spills of chemical (or natural) agents that may be in danger of entering the water course. One of the worst things that can enter a water course is milk, as it will stop oxygenation within a river, stream or lake and kill all fish and plants.
Animal Rescue Teams
Our Animal Rescue teams are deployed from Bromyard Station in Herefordshire & Pershore in Worcestershire. In 2022 both stations received a bespoke appliance that was specially kitted out to carry the animal rescue equipment.
Each appliance carries specialist equipment which includes: large glide boards, quick release lifting harness, extra-long strops, head halters, strop guides and hand crooks.
Several of the crew on stations are trained to AR2 level and some are AR3 – these are nationally recognised skills for Animal Rescue.
Drones Team
The Drones from Wyre Forest and Ledbury respond to a variety of incidents including Persons In Water, Missing Persons and will often support our colleagues in the Police with aerial reconnaissance of high interest targets. The drones are carried on both Incident Command Units and can deploy with a crew of x2 operators.
The drones are often utilised at Fire incidents due to their ability to stream live footage to the incident commander and through to the TCG. The high resolution thermal imaging cameras prove useful in predicting fire spread and have the ability to locate hotspots from the air.
Drones can be requested at anytime through fire control and a handbook file is available on the MDT for further reference.