Introduction
The New Dimension programme was set up after the events of 11 September 2001, which prompted the Government to review and improve the UK’s capacity to respond to the increased threats arising from a ‘new dimension’ of emergency. Such threats include major incidents involving chemical, biological or radioactive materials, which would require a mass decontamination of large numbers of people, or rescue from collapsed structures.
The programme is also a response to increased risks from non-terrorist emergencies, such as major flooding resulting from changing climate patterns. In the UK, over the past four years we have faced the challenge of large scale flooding, the fuel crisis and a major epidemic of Foot and Mouth Disease. So we need to be able to cope with and recover from a range of unexpected disruptive events, for example building collapse, or natural disasters.
The programme is split into six sections, all directly linked to each other;
• Mass Decontamination
• Urban Search and Rescue
• Water Capability
• Long Term Management
• Command & Control
• Logistics
Mass Decontamination:
Nationally there are 80 Incident Response Units. Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service have three Incident Response Units (IRU’s). These are strategically positioned around the counties, to deal with mass decontamination or industrial accidents.
Additionally Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service have two further modules, one for disrobe and one for rerobe. These vehicles support the IRU’s by carrying additional disrobe packs, rerobe packs and a fire-fighter decontamination structure.
(For more information see the Mass Decontamination Section)
Urban Search and Rescue:
Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service have an Urban Search and Rescue team (USAR). One of 21 teams strategically located around England and Wales. They are equipped with five modules carrying varying equipment to deal with a large range of incidents including Structural Collapse, Large Transport Incidents, Open Area Searches, Heavy Lifting Operations, Shoring and many more.
Water capability:
Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service also have two High Volume Pump Units (HVP’s), which is provided under the water capability section. This resource can either remove large volumes of excess water from an area or deliver water rapidly to an area for fire fighting.
(For more information see the High Volume Pump Section)
The other elements to the water project are: -
• Water rescue – responding to flooding emergencies, which requires the rescue of people from water.
• Water safety – providing a safe system of work for HVP and water rescue, based on a national water safety framework being developed by New Dimension.
The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is currently developing the final three sections Long Term management, Command & Control and Logistics. Information regarding these three sections will be placed on this site as and when these are introduced into Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service. The whole New Dimension Programme is anticipated to reach its full operational capability by early 2008.
Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service have all mobilising procedures and policies in place to be able to respond to any such incident anywhere in the Country.
There are different levels of response depending on the severity and location of the incident. These have been set nationally by the DCLG.
The Fire Service will be working closely with other emergency services and other organisations.