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Technical Rescue deals with incidents that require additional equipment and training outside the remit of standard firefighting, this can include water rescue, rope rescue, response to terrorist threats and more.
Our Technical Rescue Unit (TRU) responds locally, regionally and nationally to incidents involving life and property as well as incidents that require extra training, equipment and knowledge. These additional skills can be defined into two areas:
There are currently two Technical Rescue stations in the West Midlands, one is located at Bickenhill and the other at Wednesbury. A third is currently planned in Sutton Coldfield, expected to be completed in May 2022.
The Technical Rescue unit provide a response to all water incidents within the West Midlands region and are part of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) capability to respond to national incidents.
With recent deployments to the damaged dam at Whaley Bridge in Derbyshire and the floods at Fishlake in Yorkshire both during 2019, our teams from the West Midlands can respond across the UK to aid other fire and rescue services as well as here at home.
Animal rescues present a wide range of hazards not only from the distressed animal but possibly from other animals in the locality, people and the work environment itself.
While our firefighter crews deal with a wide range of animal rescues, those involving large animals or where more specialist rescue techniques, such as incidents involving horses, TRU is able to bring a safe system of work not only for the animal but for all personnel in attendance.
Utilising a range of rope rescue equipment the team are able to access, release and evacuate victims. They are able to use the equipment to work at height safely and hands-free.
This can include rescues from height or in difficult to access places, such as banks, steep drops and confined spaces.
All the team are trained to level 1 rope rescue which delivers the skills and knowledge to set up rope systems and the supervisors to level 2 who then assess the system before starting work.
With the additional skills in patient care that personnel within TRU have gained from their Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) training, they are able to provide a casualty focused response, with bespoke equipment, to support patient care and transfer, assisting our colleagues in West Midlands Ambulance Service to resolve complex rescues and extrications.
The Technical Rescue Unit welcomes applications from serving firefighters with the West Midlands or from those in other services willing to relocate. Below is the required criteria that must be met: