ISAR Business Plan 2008/11 - West Midlands Fire Service

PRESS STATEMENT
USAR CAPABILITY BUILDING IN PAKISTAN
ISAR BUSINESS PLAN 13
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.