Strabane firefighters form specialist team
Two Strabane firefighters have been selected to become part of the first dedicated Road Rescue Team.
Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) have established the team to reduce the number of people killed and injured as a result of road traffic collisions.
Noel Mullan and Ben McGarrigle are part of a five strong specialist team based in Omagh, charged with developing new rescue techniques and providing specialist on-station training for firefighters across the North.
The Road Rescue Team is the first team of its kind in any UK Fire Service and will also deliver educational training to the public.
Ben McGarrigle said: "All members of the Road Rescue Team are committed to making a real and lasting difference on our roads and to the work firefighters do at the scene of a collision.
"As a firefighter it doesn't get any easier attending road traffic collisions. If you witnessed what I do on a daily basis you would realise that life is precious and can be so easily taken away on our roads.
"The team will be looking at enhancing road traffic collision training and developing new techniques and skills to release people from vehicles as quickly and safely as possible.
"We will be exploring new technology and equipment and will be working with the other emergency services on joint training exercises to further develop how we work together at the scene of a collision. NIFRS is now a key partner, along with the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Department of the Environment (DOE) for road safety in Northern Ireland and as the Road Rescue Team travel around Northern Ireland to promote road safety education we will be reminding people that we all have a responsibly to make our roads safer. Our message to road users is 'Cut it out before we cut you out'".
In 2008/09 firefighters attended 749 road traffic collisions, and have attended around 50 since the end of January.
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Monday 13 February 2012
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