SWIFTWATER RESCUE
Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) has a Swiftwater* Rescue team. The team is based at Newcastle East Community Fire Station in Byker, Newcastle and provides a comprehensive emergency rescue service covering the River Tyne and and the River Wear. All the station’s 48 firefighters across the four watches are highly trained in swiftwater rescue.
The team was established in 2007 after the number of incidents involving people threatening to jump into the Rivers Tyne and Wear, and other water incidents such as flooding, increased significantly..
Classed as a ‘national asset’, the team is also on standby to attend other incidents in the UK where fire and rescue services don’t have this capability or require increased support for their own teams. Most recently, they helped out at flooding incidents in Great Yarmouth in 2007 and Morpeth, Northumberland in September 2008 where Tyne and Wear crews rescued more than 90 members of the public, as part of mutual aid arrangements with Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service.
Water rescue equipment
- Fireboat – representing an investment of £94,000, this is permanently moored on Newcastle’s quayside and is the first of its kind in the UK to have been designed by operational and technical services staff from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service. It is capable of travelling up to 31 knots (36 mph)
- Three inflatable emergency rescue boats
- Two 20 and one 25 horsepower Mariner outboard motors for use in the emergency rescue boats
- One 10 person and two 5 person rescue sleds for carrying casualties away from an incident – They can be towed by another vessel, can be rowed using oars or pulled by personnel wading through the water
- Two wading poles available on every appliance to provide extra support whilst wading in the water. They are also used as probes to determine whether there are any loose manhole or drain covers in the water
- Pet rescue tubes - these are containers made from nylon mesh which are used to safely carry small animals in a rescue. They come in small and large sizes and are used for rescuing pets including budgies, cats and dogs.
- Telescopic ladders to rescue flood victims
- 2,000 aqua sacks (like sandbags) to provide to residents with protection to place in doorways in rising water conditions
- Personal dry suits and buoyancy.
- A Flood Prevention Unit available for deployment to Local Authorities, this contains 5000 aqua sacs.
Training
All Tyne and Wear firefighters are trained in ‘basic water awareness’ but the Swiftwater Rescue Team have a range of specialist capabilities to manage more complicated water and flooding incidents. Specialist training is delivered by Rescue 3 International based in Bala, North Wales, as well as locally on the River Tyne in Ovingham, Northumberland. The initial investment in this training, including equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE), was around £60,000. The team take part in regular refresher training to ensure their skills are up to date.
- Twelve Group Managers are trained to ‘water incident manager’ level – these have the capability to manage large-scale flood incidents or other large-scale water rescues. Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service was the first fire and rescue service in the country to have this strategic capability
- 4 swiftwater boat operators – they are trained to pilot boats in fast running water
- Two members of the Swiftwater Rescue Team are trained in rescuing vehicles stuck in water although plans are in place to extend this to the whole of the Team in the coming months.
- 48 firefighters based at Newcastle East Community Fire Station are trained to Swiftwater Rescue Technician (level 3) they have the capability to safely enter the water and take part in night-time swiftwater search and rescue and are also trained in rescuing people from mud using equipment like mud sleds, inflatable walkways, mud lances and specialist mud shoes
- 44 high volume pump (HVP) operators are based at Gateshead North Community Fire Station and are trained to ‘first responder’ level (Level 2) – they have the capability to provide support from the water’s edge via rescue throw lines and are capable of self-rescue
- All Tyne and Wear firefighters are trained in basic ‘water awareness’.
Water rescue incidents
Between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2008,Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service:
- rescued 78 people from the River Tyne
- rescued 34 animals from the River Tyne
- responded to 24 fires alongside the River Tyne
- towed eight vessels to safety
- carried out 49 river searches
- stood by as a safety vessel 114 times for people threatening to jump from bridges or for the safety of operational crews working near the water.
Working together
TWFRS works with a range of other organisations to ensure resilience in responding to large-scale flooding incidents. This includes working with the Environment Agency, Northumbria Local Resilience Forum (NLRF) as well as the other emergency services in the region. The Environment Agency provided TWFRS with £20,000 funding in 2008 to purchase a range of new equipment to support the team including a life raft, aqua sacks, two outboard motors, pet carriers and wading poles.
*According to the National Fire Protection Association of America, flat water becomes swiftwater when moving at a rate greater than 1 knot (1.151 mph).
Contact details for the Corporate Communications Team
For more information or to request additional factsheets, please complete the contact form or contact the Corporate Communications Team:
Michelle Atkinson, Corporate Communications Manager, 0191 444 1542 or michelle.atkinson@twfire.gov.uk
Nicci Westgarth Corporate Communications Officer on 0191 444 1513, nicola.westgarth@twfire.gov.uk or
Mike Chipchase, Corporate Communications Officer on 0191 444 1513, michael.chipchase@twfire.gov.uk
Julie Knox, Corporate Communications Officer on 0191 444 1725,
julie.knox@twfire.gov.uk
