Kent Urban Search & Rescue Centre

Fire service historian and author

Roger Mardon

www.romar.org.uk

A number of replaceable panels are provided in the structure, such as the concrete panel surrounded by a metal frame seen here. Cutting and drilling techniques can be practised on these and they can be easily replaced when of no further use.

Triangular-shaped access holes are created when possible as these offer the greatest strength.

The large diameter flexible hose is part of the dust extraction system.

Some of the equipment available to the team.

The wheeled unit in the orange frame at the back is a generator. In front of that is a core drill, used for drilling holes through which a camera and listening device can be inserted.

The chain saw on the large red box has diamond blades and will cut through concrete.

The yellow tool is a drill.

Here USAR technician Jamie Muddle demonstrates the use of a snake-eye camera. The camera lens is mounted on the end of a flexible arm which can be inserted into small openings and manoeuvred around. The resulting digital image is displayed on the small yellow- and grey-framed screen in the foreground of the picture.

The lens can be connected to a clip which in turn can be attached to the operator’s finger for an alternative method of use.

To see the search-cam with a built-in microphone, click here.

The fluorescent orange objects are listening devices that can be placed on or attached to collapsed buildings to detect signs of life. The one on the left is attached by magnet to the metal whilst the one on the right is attached to the timber by a spike.

By analysing the strength of the signals from several devices, the location of the sound source can be pinpointed.

Search dogs are employed to recognise and find the scent of people who are still alive in the rubble. To them it is just a doggy game with a reward at the end of it.

When searching they wear a harness with a light and a bell so that they can be both seen and heard.

When in transit the dogs are carried in this specially-fitted Ford Transit van

Search dogs need a high prey drive and Murphy, seen here with handler Dave Hudson, is a 3-year old Springer Spaniel. Murphy’s 6-year old mother, Meg, is Kent’s other search dog.

New Dimension

Incident response units

Prime movers

High volume pumping units

Urban search & rescue units

Disrobe and re-robe modules

DIM units

Enhanced command support vehicles

To see Kent's USAR team in action on exercise, click here.

Before the events of 9/11 in America and the Government’s New Dimension initiative, Kent was one of thirteen UK fire brigades to have established an international search and rescue team. Afterwards, they expanded their remit to respond to collapsed structure incidents within the UK.

Kent’s temporary USAR unit was mobilised on 6 June 2004 to a gas explosion in Faversham that completely destroyed two terraced houses and damaged 22 others. Further details and pictures of this incident can be seen on the Faversham Explosion pages of this web site.

The Kent USAR team is funded by the Government’s New Dimension or National Resilience Programme and is one of 20 teams set up across the country to respond to major incidents on a national scale. It can also be used locally to assist in life-threatening incidents, including road traffic collisions involving large goods vehicles and building collapse. The team comprises 14 full-time USAR technicians in addition to the officer in charge, with another 14 trained personnel on call. The 14 full-time members are split into two watches of seven, working four days on and four days off on a system comparable to day-crewing with call-out by pager at night.

The objective is to be able at any time to deploy a cadre of 10 USAR technicians, with their vehicles and equipment, anywhere within a radius of 70 miles in about 2 hours.