West Sussex firefighters arrive in New Zealand to help earthquake victims (From The Argus)

West Sussex firefighters arrive in New Zealand to help earthquake victims

10:27am Friday 25th February 2011 in News By Ruth Lumley

A team of search and rescue specialists has arrived in New Zealand to help search for victims of the earthquake.

The UK sent 61 firefighters, including six from West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, and medics in response to a request for help from the New Zealand government.

Jon Lacey, from Haywards Heath, Ian Smith, from Worthing, Peter Thorpe-Hincks, from Steyning, Neil Graham, from Shoreham, Brian Vincent, from Worthing, Rob Negus, Hove, who are part of the West Sussex technical rescue unit, which is based in Horley, arrived in Christchurch at 5am on Thursday and were immediately briefed at the base of operations that has been set up for international rescue teams.

The firefighters have previously been mobilised to earthquakes in Indonesia and Haiti.

The remainder of the UK team and their equipment have landed in Auckland and are being flown to Christchurch to relieve rescue teams that have been working non-stop since the earthquake struck on Monday. The focus is on ten collapsed buildings where people are reported trapped.

The West Sussex team is one of only 13 UK fire and rescue service teams trained for overseas deployment in the event of a natural disaster.

These teams are primarily funded by the Government's New Dimension programme and teams on this mission come from West Midlands, Hampshire, Leicestershire, Grampian, South Wales, Essex, and Cheshire.

They use the same kit and equipment, which can lift, cut, and remove concrete and rubble from collapsed structures, along with sophisticated cameras and listening devices for finding casualties.