ResQcraft Aids Fire & Rescue Teams At Cockermouth
Fortunately, UK based SIT (Specialised Inflatable Technology Ltd) and sister company MST (Marine Specialised Technology Ltd) were already developing, manufacturing and supplying specialist inflatable rescue products and craft (custom built fast rescue Rigid Inflatable Boats) for Fire and Rescue applications well before the latest floods hit. So they were up to speed and knew what was required. But little did they know that 'front line action' for SIT's new products was just round the corner.
When Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service (MFRS) was called in to assist with house to house rescue following the floods in Cockermouth, extra inflatables were needed - and fast (within 12 hours). As it so happened, a new ResQcraft was already purchased from SIT and another was due to be delivered for testing. So things moved quickly and SIT assured MFR that they could deploy both within 12 hours. As a result, testing turned into real live rescuing in very real floods, as MFR set about saving people trapped in their homes.
These new ResQcraft were supplied to MFRS with 40hp outboard motors and were used under power and without. Several successful rescues are reported. John Lloyd Young - boat instructor and front line fire fighter - was impressed with the SIT designed and built ResQcraft. "The boats performed extremely well in testing conditions. They were just what we needed and a number of people were rescued from their homes. The main high street was under several feet of water and so we were able to deploy the engines too. One of the boats was ordered for trial purposes and these conditions certainly put it to the test. The results...excellent performance all round." Needless to say, the boats are due to stay in service with the MFRS.
Leyland based SIT produces a range of rescue inflatables designed specifically for the Emergency and Rescue Services. These include ResQcrafts, ResQsleds, ResQpaths, ResQrafts, boats and air jacks that have all been developed to meet the requirements of rescuers in the current climate of high flood risks and the need to get to casualties in the fastest possible time.
The Strathclyde force currently has SIT's smaller ResQsleds and several other forces are looking closely at the full range. Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service's trials stage was rapidly turned into front line rescuing. Earlier in November, SIT exhibited all its ResQ products at The Emergency Services Show and can also arrange 'on site' trials and demonstrations.
SIT's Managing Director Chris Chadwick says; "Customers come to SIT for the service we provide and the back-up experience and knowledge offered by our team (which has 30 years experience in this field)". SIT's range of products includes RIB sponsons (pneumatic and hybrid foam), re-tubing and repair services, self-righting bags and systems, and emergency rescue inflatables (sleds and paths for mud, water and ice rescue as well as stretchers, inflatable boats and mass evacuation rafts). The main end-users are fire and rescue services, mountain rescue, MCA and other rescue teams and organisations. Each product in the range can be adapted to meet individual requirements and SIT will develop new products to meet clients' specifications.
SIT's 'Cockermouth proven' ResQcraft was developed for urban flood rescue. With its shallow draught and low weight, it's designed for rapid deployment and has the ability to gain easy access to casualties. It can be guided by hand or on ropes; or it can be fitted with an outboard engine. The ResQraft - which can carry up to 12 casualties - was developed with simple stowage, low weight and fast deployment as high priorities. It can handle mass evacuations, white water rescues and act as a mustering point.
When fitted with a 40 HP outboard the 5m ResQcraft performs well in flood and swift water rescues and can achieve over 20 knots (with eight people aboard).What's more, its fully inflatable structure (which eliminates the need for floor boards) enables it to be operational within five minutes of deployment from the valise. This makes it ideal for rescue teams specialising in inland, river, lake and swift water rescue incidents
Another of SIT's other specialist products - the ResQsled Extra - combines the characteristics of a rescue sled with those of a paddle-able kayak. It fills a gap in the 'first responder' rescue market, and appeals to rescue services that are expected operate on water, mud and ice. After many trials and exercises the ResQsled has won commendation from some of the most demanding rescue services in the UK and overseas (MCA, MFRS, and others).
The ResQsled Extra is offered with a rapid CO2 inflation system and is transported in an integral backpack valise. So it can be deployed within seconds of arriving on the scene of an emergency. The specification of the ResQsled Extra makes it fast to deploy, and it is claimed to be the lightest and easiest to use sled currently available. The sled's versatility means that it is being assessed by end users who have vastly different requirements and methods of deployment; ranging from vehicles, hovercraft, jet skis, RIBs and back packs for mountain rescues.
The ResQpath is another versatile SIT product. Inflated by a10 litre bottle in less than two minutes, it makes an effective path for rescuing casualties on mud flats. Used in pairs, the ResQpaths enable rescuers to reach a stranded casualty by using them in a 'stepping stones' style to cover unlimited distances over mud, sand and water. Other rescue equipment can be towed along the mud on a ResQsled as the ResQpaths are being deployed. These lightweight paths are designed and built to prevent undesirable movement on the mud as they are walked on. And they can be lifted easily; with none of the suction often experienced with other paths.
SIT's other recent development is the ResQjack range. These inflatable air jacks are very versatile and can handle all automotive and commercial vehicles as well as fallen trees.
And what of larger inflatables made by SIT's sister company, Marine Specialised Technology Ltd (MST). Established in 2002, MST has grown into a major supplier of RIB's to military, commercial and rescue services clients. One recent new MST model is a 10.50m rescue RIB (the MST 1050 Rescue). Designed and built to the specific requirements of the Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, the MST 1050 is fitted with twin Volvo Penta D6-370 SOLAS approved 6 cylinder diesels (with MG5050C gear boxes) that drive through a pair of Hamilton HJ274 waterjets. These Hamilton waterjets are often specified by MST's RIB clients because, as director Philip Hilbert explains, "Waterjets are paramount for rescue craft when casualties may be in the water, because there are no external moving parts on a waterjet - unlike an exposed propeller, which can seriously wound people swimming in its vicinity. Also, Waterjets can operate in very shallow water and are less prone to damage from floating debris." This MST 1050 Rescue's maximum speed (with full fuel, 4 crew and an inventory of operational equipment) is an impressive 38 knots. MST says "we believe the new 1050 is the most advanced RIB operated in the UK by a fire and rescue service".
The Merseyside Fire and Rescue Marine Unit's new 10.5m RIB (with 3.5m beam) is an impressive craft, built by MST to Lloyds Special Service Craft rules and to the UK MCA Open Rescue Boat Code. It is obvious that a large amount of design and development work has gone into creating a piece of machinery that combines form and function to perfection. From its huge stern platform complete with rollers - which facilitate the recovery of casualties - to its deep and secure foredeck, it does the business. Its high-tech composite GRP hull construction and aluminium topside fabrications ensure maximum strength combined with carefully controlled weight distribution. Its layout is designed to facilitate the treatment and recovery of casualties, tow stricken vessels, and evacuate mass casualties. With ever increasing traffic using Liverpool's John Lennon Airport, the possibility of an aircraft ditching in the Mersey also has to be taken into account.
In total, the Merseyside Fire Brigade employs 14 fully-trained crew who operate in shift patterns (three on board at a time). They average an impressive 8000 operating hours per person, and all were delighted with the new RIB. "It's a fantastic boat. It does everything we need; and more. The local RNLI boys are very envious," they said.
In addition to its four crew (each of whom has a Shockwave' shock mitigating seat), this self-righting rescue RIB has been designed to carry a comprehensive inventory of rescue related equipment with specific stowage arrangements. This includes such items as a basket stretcher, 25 survivor lifejackets, rope access equipment, casualty blankets, oxygen trauma kit, water entry equipment, pathfinder rescue sled and inflation equipment.
MST and sister company SIT have clearly put themselves on the shortlist of any fire or rescue service looking to update or improve its fast reaction capacity, so it is certain that their recently enlarged Liverpool based design offices and factories will remain busy for years to come. Visit www.sitltd.co.uk for more information.
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