ISAR Business Plan 2008/11 - West Midlands Fire Service

INTERNATIONAL SEARCH AND RESCUE 

BUSINESS PLAN 2008/2011

2 ISAR BUSINESS PLAN 

The Mission Statement: 

“Our Mission is to provide a professional, 

effective and efficient response to 

International and UK Disasters on behalf of the 

Government of the United Kingdom”

INTERNATIONAL SEARCH AND RESCUE 

3 YEAR BUSINESS PLAN 

ISAR BUSINESS PLAN 3 

Contents: 

Foreword by Chief Fire Officer 4 

Introduction by WMFS ISAR Commander 5 

WMFS ISAR Team Structure 6 

National Governance Arrangements 7 

National Mobilising Arrangements 8 

UK ISAR Deployments 9 

Deployments 10 

Tanzania Capacity Building 11 

Kashmir Earthquake 12 

Pakistan Capacity Building 13 

Birmingham Tornado 14 

Training Standards 15 

Core Skills Modules 16 

Specialist Skills Modules 17 

Maintenance of Competence Training 18 

Organisational Benefits 19 

Financial Resourcing 20 

3 Year Plan 22 

5 Year Aspirations 23 

ISAR Adopted Charity 25 

Notes 25


Foreword from the Chief Fire Officer: Developing the International Search and Rescue Team’s Business Plan. 

Vij Randeniya 

OBE MA BA(Hons) MIFireE 

Chief Fire Officer 

West Midlands Fire Service 

The West Midlands Fire Service has been an integral part of the UK Government’s response to overseas disasters 

since the inception of the United Kingdom Fire Service Search and Rescue Team (UKFSSART) in 1991. During its 

17 year history the team has grown in experience and developed in capability to that of a highly skilled, well 

motivated, resourceful and dedicated group of firefighters who have repeatedly demonstrated their ability to 

deploy at short notice to some of the worlds worst disasters. This was most evident during their latest deployment 

to the earthquake in Kashmir, where their achievements were internationally acclaimed. 

I am immensely proud of our teams’ achievements and am similarly supportive of their aspirations for future 

development. I wholeheartedly support and endorse their professionalism and accomplishments and I am also 

grateful for their efforts in acquiring and maintaining the competencies required for inclusion and membership 

within the United Nation’s Heavy Rescue Response. Additionally, West Midlands Fire Control has embraced the 

challenge of joint responsibility with Hampshire FRS for the mobilisation of the UK International Search 

and Rescue. 

I also endorse the teams intention to build upon our partnerships across the world and continue to strengthen 

capacity building operations in less developed countries and with organisations such as Swedish Rescue 

Services Agency (SRSA) and Department for International Development (DFID) in a bid to optimise our resources 

and maximise our joint capabilities. This also aligns with the DFIDs aim of “Improving the quality of European 

Community development and humanitarian assistance through reforms and capacity building”. 

It is encouraging to view the governments’ recent changes to mobilising protocols surrounding the UK response 

within the United Nations and the European Community Mechanism as a unified deliverance of emergency aid. 

I am entirely confident that you will witness the continued growth and consolidation of the teams standing within 

the International theatre of operations, as they continue to take leading roles within the UK International Search 

and Rescue structure, for which we can all be justifiably proud.

Introduction - ISAR Commander 

I am delighted to introduce the strategic business plan for the West Midlands International Search and 

Rescue (ISAR) team 2008 – 2011. 

The West Midlands team is part of the wider UK-ISAR team which is dedicated to the provision of a 

professional and effective response capability on behalf of the UK government to disasters all over the world. 

I am proud to say that our team members are exceptional in their commitment, professionalism and 

dedication to the team and the roles we are required to undertake. This level of excellence doesn’t just 

happen; the team leaders pride themselves in the extensive and painstaking selection process that we 

put all of our personnel through in order that we only select the best of the best. 

Primarily our role is that of Search and Rescue in collapsed structures; however, the West Midlands team has 

also invested a great deal financially and in training to develop a Command and Control capability that is 

second to none, which will support the full UK-ISAR team when deployed. We recognise the need to keep 

ahead of the changing face of disasters and for that reason we have and will develop further our skills in 

Rope Rescue, Water Rescue, and Wide Area Search. 

As a team we believe in cascading to others the skills that we have acquired and we will continue to do this, 

especially in those areas of the world that will benefit most. We have and will continue to achieve this by 

working in partnership with other influential international organisations as this is not only more efficient but 

also more effective in achieving the overall objective. 


Alan Pellowe 

ISAR Commander 

West Midlands


ISAR Commander - West Midlands 

Alan Pellowe 

Birmingham

National Governance arrangements 

Brief History 

Communities and Local Government, Department for International Development and the Cabinet Office are fully committed 

to providing an emergency response to both man made and natural disasters that may occur within the European Union and 

to the rest of the world. As a consequence HM Fire Services Inspectorate was asked to establish a team with the capability of 

responding to and managing all anticipated catastrophic events. 

A letter to the Chief Officer dated 9/1992, laid out the arrangements for the establishment of this team and as a consequence a 

Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed by the CFO on behalf of the Fire Authority giving a commitment to becoming 

a member of the United Kingdoms Fire Services Search and Rescue team (UKFSSART). Since the conception of the team in 1993 

there have been many changes at the strategic level to the national and international structures; however WMFS has always 

remained committed to providing a team capable of “providing humanitarian assistance to international communities”. 

Governance 

A recent change to the national structure now means that we have a CFOA lead responsible for UK Fire Services overseas 

operations. Currently this position is held by CFO Mike Thomas from Lincolnshire FRS, who also represents ISAR on the 

national USAR User Group and feeds information back to individual Chief Fire Officers on: 

• operational standards 

• competency requirements 

• equipment compatibility 

• administrative arrangements 

• insurance provisions 

• health and safety management 

• equality protocols 

• records and audit systems. 

It is clear that these arrangements will provide a stable footing on which we can progress 

ISAR for the future and limit any risks or liability. The diagram on the next page explains how 

the full national structure is arranged: 

ISAR BUSINESS PLAN 7


West Midlands 

Fire and Rescue 

Authority 

WMFS CFO 

WMFS ISAR 

National 

USAR 

Working Group 

USAR 

Technical Leads 

Manager

National Mobilising Arrangements 


ISAR comprises of selected personnel from 13 FRS and responds to International Incidents under the auspices of the Department for 

International Development (DFID) and the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. To ensure that we are able to meet with the 

mobilising requirements of both DFID and the EU, UK ISAR has put in place standards that all FRS teams will comply with: 

1. Maintenance of an immediate communication capability. 

2. All UK-ISAR teams 24 hour contact details are held by the resource and mobilising centre. 

3. On receipt of a mobilisation, WMFS will make available one team of 6 personnel led by a Team leader for Command 

Support duties and second team of 6 personnel when on call for Search & Rescue duties. The West Midlands command 

support team will deploy on every UK deployment. 

4. Deployment of sufficient equipment to be able to undertake command support duties for the UK team, and be prepared 

to undertake duties as per INSARAG guidelines. 

5. All personnel must have a passport valid for a minimum of 6 months. 

6. All personnel mobilised must possess the required skills and be competent to perform heavy USAR operations. 

7. All personnel must be inoculated the required standards and carry an up to date vaccination record. 

8. All personnel must have appropriate and sufficient PPE, both for USAR operations and the environment encountered 

during deployment. 

9. Ensure that the team can be transported to the point of departure within 6 hours of the mobilisation alert. 

10. Be self-sufficient for a minimum of 10 days (shelter, food, water and sanitation). 

Mobilisation of ISAR will be carried out by the national mobilising centre, which is a shared responsibility between Hampshire 

FRS and West Midlands FRS who will undertake all arrangements for mobilisation of the UK team and act as a communications hub 

for all overseas deployments. This arrangement provides a robust approach to UK mobilisation.


UK - ISAR Deployments 

YEAR AREA TYPE OF RESPONSE West Midlands within UK 

Response 

1995 Romania Capacity Building West Midlands only response 

1996 Romania Capacity Building West Midlands only response 

1996 Bosnia Capacity Building Yes 

1996 Montserrat, Caribbean Capacity Building No 

1997 Montserrat, Caribbean Capacity Building No 

1999 Skopje, Macedonia Humanitarian response Yes 

1999 Izmit, Turkey Earthquake Yes 

1999 Duzce, Turkey Earthquake Yes 

2000 Mozambique Flooding No 

2001 Bhuj, Gujarat province, India Earthquake No 

2003 Bourmerdes region, Algeria Earthquake No 

2003 Bam, Iran Earthquake No 

2004 Khoa Lak area, Thailand Tsunami No 

2005 Birmingham, UK Tornado West Midlands only response 

2005 Muzaffarabad, Pakistan Earthquake Yes 

2005 Poland European Exercise Yes 

2007 Tanzania Dar Es Salaam Capacity Building West Midlands only response 

2007 Texas, United States of America Hurricane Dean Yes 

2008 Islamabad – Pakistan Capacity Building Yes 

2008 Tanzania Dar Es Salaam Capacity Building West Midlands only response

PRESS STATEMENT - Thursday, January 4, 2007 

SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAM TO TRAIN COLLEAGUES IN AFRICA 

A team of Search and Rescue experts from West Midlands Fire Service travelled to the African 

country of Tanzania to train its firefighters in vital life-saving techniques. Six members of the UK 

International Search and Rescue Team (ISAR) spent two weeks there providing basic training 

in skills such as water rescue, high angle line rescue and technical search following structural 

collapse. During the trip they conducted a number of exercises with members of the Urban 

Search and Rescue team based in the city of Dar es Salaam to demonstrate and test the skills 

they have shared. 

Paul Burnham said “West Midlands Fire Service is leading the way with search and rescue and 

we are very pleased to have this exciting opportunity to share our skills and techniques with our 

colleagues in Tanzania. We hope that our visit will leave them better prepared to face a wide 

variety of scenarios that can occur.” 

The team who travelled to Tanzania consisted of Team Leader Alan Pellowe (Birmingham), Paul 

Burnham (Coventry), Alan Batchelor and James McParland (Training Centre), Lee Ivory (Solihull), 

and David Moffat (Erdington). They are all serving firefighters with West Midlands Fire Service. 

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Vij Randeniya 

“I was fortunate to join our team midway through their programme and was able to see first 

hand the impact that we were having. The training programme delivered by West Midlands Fire 

Service personnel via ISAR, quite simply, made a difference to many people’s lives and they can 

be justly proud of what they achieved. “While it may appear strange that we were there helping 

a private fire brigade funded by subscriptions, I was struck by the thought that if we weren’t 

there, no-one else would be and our involvement greatly benefited the people of 

Dar es Salaam.” 

ISAR BUSINESS PLAN 11


PRESS STATEMENT 

LATEST UPDATES FROM WEST MIDLANDS RESCUERS IN KASHMIR 

Alan Pellowe, Pete Mills, Phil Webb, Stuart Downes and Paul Jobbins were mobilised within 

hours of the earthquake happening and travelled to Islamabad, from where they were 

helicoptered into the very heart of the trauma – Muzaffarabad – the epicentre of the earthquake. 

The team were part of the UK contingent of eighty personnel who assisted in the rescue of 

24 people trapped under rubble, as well as co-ordinating all the international rescue teams out 

in Muzaffarabad, for the UN. 

Pete Mills and Stuart Downes were responsible for the initiative which helped to save 800 

casualties from nearby towns after co-ordinating the German Airforce to send helicopters into 

areas that hadn’t received any help for five days since the earthquake struck. These were people 

who would have died from their injuries. 

Speaking live from Muzaffarabad, Alan Pellowe told Firepower that the team had been 

working 21-hour days with little more than three hours sleep every night and had been subject 

to after-shocks most nights. 

He said: “It has taken a huge toll on all of us physically and emotionally but we are all working 

well together and supporting each other. The sights the members have been exposed to are 

horrific. We are all experienced firefighters and have seen a lot in our lives already but nothing 

on this scale.” 

The team finally returned home to Birmingham International Airport where they were greeted by 

their families, fellow colleagues of the team, as well as councillors and representatives from the 

Birmingham communities who had lost relatives in the earthquake zone and the media.

PRESS STATEMENT 

USAR CAPABILITY BUILDING IN PAKISTAN 


From the 3rd to the 18th May 2008, Jim McParland and Rob Norman from West Midlands 

Fire Service were deployed to support an international project to develop an Urban Search 

and Rescue capability in Pakistan. The project is part of a 3 year plan organised by the 

Swedish Rescue Service Agency (SRSA) as an outcome from the report that identified a lack 

of these skills within Pakistan during the Kashmir earthquake in 2005. 

It involves setting up, training and equipping 3 heavy USAR teams in Islamabad, Karachi, 

and Lahore. The SRSA contacted Dave Dickson UK co-ordinator for UKFSSART with a 

request for qualified instructors in rope rescue and timber shoring and applications were 

asked for from members of the national UKFSSART teams. 

Jim and Rob are both members of West Midlands UK Fire Services Search and Rescue Team 

that were deployed to the earthquake in 2005 and were selected along with John McKie 

from Lancashire and Neil Graham from West Sussex. Jim was nominated to lead the team 

and was supported by project co-ordinators here in the UK. 

Over a 2 week period 20 members of Islamabad’s Technical Rescue Team were trained 

and assessed in rope rescue and timber shoring and given the equipment with an ongoing 

training plan to maintain their skills. UKFSSART nationally is committed to supporting the 

SRSA over the coming years in the further development of this project. 

Despite all the problems initially encountered, i.e. lost luggage, equipment stuck at customs, 

security restrictions on travelling anywhere other than place of work and accommodation, 

40°C plus heat, the trip was an overwhelming success and went a long way to establishing 

a solid foundation for USAR to be conceived in Pakistan.


PRESS STATEMENT – 29 July 2005 11:25 Hours 

ATTENDANCE AT BIRMINGHAM TORNADO 

The ISAR team was mobilised on 28th July 2005, to a tornado which struck the Kings Heath, 

Moseley, Balsall Heath, Sparkbrook and Small Heath districts of the City. This incident was 

declared a major emergency due to the extent and scale of the damage and the number of 

local communities directly involved. 

ISAR were mobilised from the base at Solihull Fire Station and were in attendance at the scene 

within 90 minutes of the call. They arrived with a cache of specialist heavy rescue equipment 

and a team of experts who had extensive previous experience of dealing with the aftermath of 

earthquakes and other natural disasters. The team found extensive and widespread damage 

to buildings, vehicles and trees and experienced extreme difficulty accessing the site. They 

were, however, able to offer very quick assistance to the Incident Commander and started to 

systematically search the buildings for any trapped members of the local community. With such 

a large area of operations and due to the perilous nature of some of the buildings, a specialist 

canine search team was mobilised from Merseyside and Mid Wales to assist in the search. 

The team formed an integral part of the emergency response and was able to provide 

assistance and guidance to the crews in attendance in relation to the risks posed by the partially 

collapsed structures and liaise with the City Council dangerous buildings team to agree joint 

risk assessments of the site. 

The team remained at the scene well into the evening, having searched the houses in more than 

thirty streets and roads, no one was found to be trapped, although a number of people were 

injured by flying debris.

Training Standards 

One of the underlying principals of the International Search and 

Rescue (ISAR) team is that personnel responding to catastrophic 

incidents overseas having received the same training and will do 

so using identical equipment, systems of work and procedures. 

This principle and the understanding and inter-operability that result, 

will be achieved by adherence to nationally agreed training and 

development standards. All Fire and Rescue Services forming part of 

the International Search and Rescue team are required to plan and 

deliver search and rescue training as per these standards. 

The standards will describe in detail the skills and knowledge 

considered necessary to perform the various roles within the ISAR 

team and will be linked to the National Occupational Standard 

(Role Map) for Firefighters. 

It is against these performance criteria that an individual’s current 

skills and knowledge will be assessed, in order to determine the 

presence or otherwise of any skills gaps. It is to meet the identified 

skills gaps that specific and relevant learning opportunities will 

need to be developed and this learning will be adopted on a local, 

national or international basis. 

ISAR responders will be required to complete a range of training 

modules in a sequential process, commencing with core skills and 

progressing onto specialist skills. Team members will need to complete 

all of the core skills in order to respond overseas. 



Core Skills Modules 

There are ten core skills training modules that have been designed to 

give personnel the underpinning practical and technical knowledge 

required to safely operate equipment carried within the ISAR inventory. 

These include: 

International USAR Operations 

Base of Operations 

Reconnaissance and Survey 

Technical Search Operations 

Breaking and Breeching 

Rigging and Lifting 

Shoring 

Confined space 

Safe working at height 

Water awareness 

Completion of all modules at approved training providers will allow 

personnel to be accredited with the “ISAR Technician” qualification.

Specialist Skills Modules 

The specialist skills training modules are designed to provide 

individuals within ISAR teams with the full range of specialist skills and 

knowledge required at disasters overseas. These training modules will 

be delivered by a number of approved training providers, but may 

also be completed within respective FRS. Modules are currently being 

developed in the following areas: 

Casualty care Hot cutting 

Flood and swift water response Wide area search operations 

Rope rescue Hazmat /CCBRN 

Water craft Shoring (advanced) 

Canine Media 

Logistics Command and communication 

Chainsaw operations Structural collapse assessment 



Recording of 

Competencies 

WMFS ISAR will be working 

towards introducing an ICT 

based system for the purpose 

of recording training and the 

maintenance of competence 

against the recognised 

National Standards. This 

will also involve carrying 

out workplace assessments 

measured against a set 

of National Occupational 

standards. 

Maintenance of Competence Training 

The complexity and extent of some of the content of the ISAR training 

modules being delivered (and yet to be developed), will undoubtedly 

mean that demands from individuals for Maintenance Of Competence 

training (MOC) will be significant. 

In order to maintain the competencies of the ISAR teams, national 

standards have been established that will enable teams and individuals 

to clearly demonstrate their competency and, as importantly, measure 

improvements or skill fade in a repeatable and consistent manner. 

The maintenance of national standards and the provision of ISAR 

training across the country needs to be supported by the use of the 

equipment and training facilities provided by the New Dimension 

programme, so consequently, alignment with the Technical Rescue Unit 

training plan is crucial to the success of our development programmes.

Organisational Benefits 


During the past decade, structural collapses caused by earthquakes have resulted in over 100,000 deaths worldwide. While the majority of 

the survivors of these events are found and extricated quickly, some are subjected to prolonged periods of entrapment before they are rescued. 

Most of these events take place in countries that are less able to cope with the huge demands placed upon the local emergency services 

and request international assistance to locate and extricate these unfortunate individuals. Since 1991 the United Kingdom Government has 

relied upon the Fire Service to respond to and manage these types of incidents. For the Fire Service this has resulted in many individual and 

organisational benefits which we have summarised below: 

WMFS team learn about different cultures, customs and practices, establishing effective ways in which to communicate and 

overcome difficulties. 

They are exposed to the frustrations and restrictions that apply to working in these environments and consequently develop 

methods to improvise and adapt working practices in order to achieve their aims. 

All of the experience and skills learnt from dealing with these major international disasters are transferable and have been used 

to benefit the communities of the West Midlands in both emergency response and through community activity and initiatives. 

When we travel overseas to deliver training, we can take satisfaction in developing Emergency Services of other countries that 

do not have the infrastructure, capability or resources to keep their people safe from challenging incidents. 

We believe that our local ethnic communities within the West Midlands are reassured and proud that we are supporting the relief 

effort in their homelands. 

As a team, we deliver a positive image of the organisation through huge media exposure, when we deploy and on the wider 

political front, we fly the flag for the United Kingdom; we show that we are a country that cares for others. 

The ISAR team provides an additional specialist resource to the WMFS and the Region. The WMFS ISAR team has recently been 

included within the National Data Base for major incidents involving water. 

Ultimately, we believe that when we respond overseas and save human life, it is worth all of the personal sacrifice and effort to 

be an ISAR team member and a member of West Midlands Fire Service.


Financial Resourcing 

Purpose Cost Recovery Source Amount 

Capacity Building in Pakistan Full SRSA £6,500 

Earthquake response to Kashmir Full DFID £20,000 

Capacity Building in East Africa Matched funding Knight Support £6,000 per annum 

National Training Exercises Full DFID £2,500 per annum 

Vaccinations and Inoculations Full DFID £2,800 

Clothing and PPE Within existing budget WMFS £6,500 per annum 

Maintenance of Competence Within existing budget WMFS £3,000 per annum 

Command and Control equipment 

procurement 

Full 

DFID development 

bid 

£9,000 

Equipment Within existing budget WMFS £5,000 per annum

20% 

10% 

£14,500 

£6,000 

Financial Resourcing % 

� Full recovery 

� Matched funding 

� Within existing budget 

70% 

� Full recovery 

� Matched funding 

� Within existing budget 

£40,800 


Financial Aspiration Opportunities 

DFID 

The Department for International Development has committed to 

funding ISAR for the next 3 years at £80,000 per year. Mainly this 

will cover the costs of training and National Exercises. 

DFID also provides funding for capacity building in under 

developed areas around the world. 

United Nations 

Currently the United Nations financially support the cost associated 

with disaster training. Our intention is to develop this arrangement 

to include wider opportunities. 

European Union 

We will apply for funding in line with the European Mechanism 

to facilitate EU disaster assessment and management courses. 

We will also apply for funding to assist EU’s programme to aid 

capacity building in impoverished areas around the world.


3 Year Business Plan 

2008 2009 2010

5 Year Aspirations 


2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013


5 Year Aspirations - continued 

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

WMFS – ISAR Adopted Charity Notes 

During our first visit to Tanzania, the West Midlands ISAR team 

were humbled by a group of kids living a very basic existence in 

a Salvation Army Orphanage on the outskirts of Dar Es Salaam. 

The laughter displayed and the hope shown by these children in 

support for each other, in spite of the fact that many were missing 

arms and legs and countless numbers having been terribly deformed 

through rickets, led us to adopt this as our preferred charity. 

The team takes every opportunity to raise funds or provide prosthetics 

in a bid to improve the lives of these young people. 

Donations can be sent to: 

Major Stephen Moriasi 

Tanzania Command “C” account 

The Salvation Army 

101 Queen Victoria street 

London 

EC4P 4EP 

Please help us to help them… 



All non-emergencies and general enquiries for 

the whole of the West Midlands call 

www.wmfs.net 

0845 5000900 

If you have any compliments, comments or 

complaints about our service please contact us. 

Customer Care Hotline 

0121 380 7404 

contact@wmfs.net 

Public Relations 

West Midlands Fire Service Headquarters, 

99 Vauxhall Road, Birmingham B7 4HW 

For a FREE Home Fire Safety Check call 

FREE 0800 389 5525 

Our website provides everything you need to 

know about the services we provide including 

details on our performance, our future plans 

and fire safety advice 

www.wmfs.net 

For current recruitment opportunities go to 

www.wmfs.net/jobs_online 

The information contained in this document can also be provided in other formats 

including Braille, audiotape and large print. Please call 0845 8009000 

Published by West Midlands Fire Service Marketing, 99 Vauxhall Road, Birmingham B7 4HW. 

© West Midlands Fire Service Marketing 2008/89•128 Photos © West Midlands Fire Service Photographic 2008

ISAR Business Plan 2008/11 - West Midlands Fire Service

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