Sharp-Fire Swift water Rescue Team
Sharp-Fire is the first Independent Fire and Rescue Service in the United Kingdom to operate a dedicated Water Rescue Team, with the necessary skills, knowledge, attitude, training, experience and equipment to undertake rescues in both swift and still water environments. This makes the team ideally suited to Flood Response, Water Search and Rescue Operations and Water Salvage Duties
The Sharp Fire Water Rescue Team is based at our Headquarters in Cannock, Staffordshire, and is available on a national basis. We have two duty crews operating on a rotational shift basis, enabling short notice mobilisation on a 24 hour basis, throughout the year.
Our Water Rescue Team's operational status is the culmination of over twelve months research, planning and development by the management team at Sharp-Fire. In brief the process included the identification of training needs and the provision of training; the selection, appraisal and procurement of equipment; the creation of Operational Risk Assessments, Safe Systems of Work and Equipment Technical Bulletins.
In order to ensure that our fire-fighters were provided with the appropriate level of training to safely undertake rescues in swiftwater environments, it was essential that a suitable and sufficient training scheme was selected and The Rescue 3 programme of courses was chosen.
Rescue 3 International Inc. is a California based organisation that has been providing state of the art courses in swiftwater, flood, rope and other technical rescues for many years, this scheme is also adopted by the majority of Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services across the United Kingdom through Rescue 3 (UK), the UK and Irish agency for Rescue 3. All Rescue 3 courses are internationally recognised and are valid for 3 years, after which each team member will be revalidated by either attending the same course or by progressing to the next level, thus ensuring the skill base of our team is suitably maintained.
The minimum entry requirement to our Water Rescue Team is Rescue 3 Swiftwater Rescue Technician Unit 1 with selected members of the team progressing to Swiftwater Rescue Technician Advanced, additional role specific training is also provided which includes; Rescues from Vehicles in Water, Swiftwater Rescue Boat Operator and Royal Yacht Association Level 2 Powerboat Operation. This training is supplemented by scenario based training exercises, which are conducted on a minimum of a quarterly basis.
All Technicians are provided with appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), including bespoke Northern Diver Drysuits and Palm 800 Rescue personal flotation devices. The team is equipped with a 4.3m rigid inflatable boat, with 50hp outboard engine, a 4.3m inflatable boat for tethered rescues, water rescue kits and a four wheel drive, high conspicuancy marked, Ford Ranger, driven by an EFAD trained driver. The team can be supplemented by our Special Incident Unit (which has on board welfare, heated changing and showering facilities) and our Dennis Sabre Pump Rescue Ladders for land side support/salvage duties, from Swiftwater First Responder trained fire-fighters. All water rescue equipment and PPE was procured new in 2008.
Sharp-Fire's Water Rescue Team is available to assist Local Authorities for Flood Response, Water Search and Rescue Operations, Water Salvage Duties, and also to Event Organisers, where a specific water risk has been identified.
Further information on team equipment and photographs will follow shortly. If you have any queries, then please do not hesitate to contact James Sharples, details available on [Contact Us Page].