Fire rescue team at the cutting edge

A team of Northumberland firefighters has proved to be among the best in Britain when it comes to saving lives.
The Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service Extrication Team in action. Picture by Graham Mitchell PhotographyThe Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service Extrication Team in action. Picture by Graham Mitchell Photography
The Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service Extrication Team in action. Picture by Graham Mitchell Photography

Northumberland Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) extrication team has just competed in the United Kingdom Rescue Organisation (UKRO) national challenge in Humberside.

The team, consisting of incident commander Andy Pogson, medics James Kidman and Steve Wight, and technical tool operators Richie Fairbairn, Steve Wickham and Gary Hall, tested their road-traffic rescue and trauma medical skills against 30 teams from fire and rescue services across the UK.

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The first day’s challenge was a 20-minute standard rescue scenario, with the top 20 teams then going forward to day two. There they faced more complex tests, longer and with more trapped casualties.

All teams are marked on three categories – incident command, technical (tool operation) and medical.

The NFRS team finished second overall, with individual awards for best incident commander and best technical (tool operation).

The team has now been selected by UKRO to represent the UK Fire and Rescue Services in the World Rescue Challenge being held in South Africa in 2018.