Firefighters Take Part in Ship Rescue Exercise

Cosmetic Vessel Firefighters in Cornwall teamed up with coastguards and the RNLI for a sea rescue training exercise. Cornwall Fire Brigade's Maritime Incident Response Group (MIRG) joined the simulated rescue of a stricken vessel at County Wharf, Falmouth. MIRG, funded by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, is made up of firefighters who volunteer to be part of the group. They undergo specialised training to deal with incidents at sea involving fire, hazardous materials and industrial accidents that endanger life on the vessel and can harm marine life and the environment. The exercise, on April 22, started with the call for assistance from the ship's master explaining that there was a fire and the engine was lost, and there were crew, six passengers and a cargo including hazardous substances on board. A helicopter was deployed to take 12 firefighters to the scene, and cosmetic smoke was used to help the team locate the simulated fire. Four crew members were winched onboard the vessel, followed by another six firefighters and a strike team of eight. Firefighters entered the smoke-filled machinery room and pulled casualties out, with the help of two crew. Divisional officer Steve Brown said: "It's important for the crew to experience something as real as possible." (c) 2008 Western Morning News, The Plymouth (UK). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.