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02/02/2010
Road Rescue Team First For Omagh
A bid to reduce the number of people killed and injured as a result of local road crashes has seen NI win a major UK 'first'.
A new team will be responsible for enhancing the road traffic collision training provided by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) by developing new rescue techniques and skills, and providing specialist on-station training for firefighters.
Based in Omagh, it is hoped the new Road Rescue Team will help promote road safety and responsible road user behaviour by educating people about the devastating consequences of road traffic collisions.
The news came as 60 children escaped injury when their school bus swerved off the road into a field near Omagh on Monday.
The accident happened at about 4pm at Drumlegagh Road South, Omagh.
It also emerged that, shortly before the bus accident, a car with two people on board crashed into a field on the other side of the road.
The police said that no one was injured in either accident, although the bus driver was badly shaken.
Speaking about the new initiative to launch the training team, Louis Jones, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, explained: "As firefighters, our involvement with road safety goes beyond our statutory requirement which is to attend road traffic collisions to release casualties trapped in vehicles.
"On a daily basis we witness the carnage on our roads and the lives completely destroyed as a consequence of irresponsible road user behaviour such as speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, inattention or drink/drug driving," he said, noting that, last year, firefighters attended 749 road traffic collisions and to January 27th of this year, that number was 48.
"We have a responsibility to help make our roads safer and to reduce the number of people killed and injured.
"Our Road Rescue Team provides a focal point for all our road safety activity and the work we do with our partner organisations," he continued.
"NIFRS is one of the most highly skilled Fire & Rescue Services in the world at responding to road traffic collisions and rescuing people trapped in vehicles.
"In recognition of this NIFRS will be hosting the World Extrication Challenge event in 2013, an international competition testing firefighters skills at rescuing people trapped in vehicles," he explained.
The new team will be looking at enhancing road traffic collision training by developing new techniques and skills to release people from vehicles as quickly and safely as possible so they can receive urgent medical attention.
It will be exploring new technology and equipment and will be working with the other emergency services on joint training exercises to further develop working together at the scene of a collision.
(BMcC/GK)
A new team will be responsible for enhancing the road traffic collision training provided by the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) by developing new rescue techniques and skills, and providing specialist on-station training for firefighters.
Based in Omagh, it is hoped the new Road Rescue Team will help promote road safety and responsible road user behaviour by educating people about the devastating consequences of road traffic collisions.
The news came as 60 children escaped injury when their school bus swerved off the road into a field near Omagh on Monday.
The accident happened at about 4pm at Drumlegagh Road South, Omagh.
It also emerged that, shortly before the bus accident, a car with two people on board crashed into a field on the other side of the road.
The police said that no one was injured in either accident, although the bus driver was badly shaken.
Speaking about the new initiative to launch the training team, Louis Jones, Deputy Chief Fire Officer, explained: "As firefighters, our involvement with road safety goes beyond our statutory requirement which is to attend road traffic collisions to release casualties trapped in vehicles.
"On a daily basis we witness the carnage on our roads and the lives completely destroyed as a consequence of irresponsible road user behaviour such as speeding, not wearing a seatbelt, inattention or drink/drug driving," he said, noting that, last year, firefighters attended 749 road traffic collisions and to January 27th of this year, that number was 48.
"We have a responsibility to help make our roads safer and to reduce the number of people killed and injured.
"Our Road Rescue Team provides a focal point for all our road safety activity and the work we do with our partner organisations," he continued.
"NIFRS is one of the most highly skilled Fire & Rescue Services in the world at responding to road traffic collisions and rescuing people trapped in vehicles.
"In recognition of this NIFRS will be hosting the World Extrication Challenge event in 2013, an international competition testing firefighters skills at rescuing people trapped in vehicles," he explained.
The new team will be looking at enhancing road traffic collision training by developing new techniques and skills to release people from vehicles as quickly and safely as possible so they can receive urgent medical attention.
It will be exploring new technology and equipment and will be working with the other emergency services on joint training exercises to further develop working together at the scene of a collision.
(BMcC/GK)
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