Overseas Deployment

[Aspire]

What with the news over the weekend of the Home Secretary requesting NFCC send a delegation of British Firefighters to support with the worrying wildfires in Greece, I thought I’d ask if anybody has ever been deployed overseas and what were your experiences?

Also, anybody from the 5 (I think) services that have sent support, how were volunteers selected or is it the ISAR folk as they are trained and prepared for working overseas, albeit this is wildfire?

That being said, as a London officer, as it currently stands I’ve no idea who we’ve sent and how they were selected 🤷🏽‍♂️

[BurtMacklin]

I’m sure there will be a Hotwire entry soon celebrating their gallantry, I suspect it’s logisitcal support only though as LFB could not be further removed from the skills and equipment required for wildland fire fighting, we barely knew what to do when Wanstead flats went up 3 years ago! 🤣

[Aspire]

Fire engines…. Lots of fire engines!

[JonnyHolbs]

@Aspire there was an incident raised on Boss at (I think) 0822 yesterday (8/8/21) that contained the names of the four that London are sending. Two ISAR bods from Union Street (LFB’s HQ) and one each from Edmonton and Croydon. So yes, all four from ISAR.

[Aspire]

Ahh thanks, i’ll have a look in a little while.

[Carl]

Mainly ISAR for firefighting. There is also a member of NR who has gone across to provide Command Support. 

I was put on standby on Thursday last week as TacAd and didn't give it a second thought, as it usually ends up not happening. I was right. A select few have gone across. 

[BurtMacklin]

I saw a news item, where an interviewed member of the detachment said they were currently cutting fire breaks in rugged terrain under the command structure of the Greek FRS.

[Iann]

Hello Firefighters and thanks for your service. Non firefighter here but I did a ship course some time ago.

I joined due2 current International forest fires; can I express an idea for firefighting, with all due respect and if anyone is interested? I'll be brief. Thank you.

[Carl]

@Iann, feel free to post a new topic within the Operational Section. As long as you stay within the forum guidelines, its fine.

[Steve]

On 09/08/2021 at 16:11, BurtMacklin said:

I’m sure there will be a Hotwire entry soon celebrating their gallantry, I suspect it’s logisitcal support only though as LFB could not be further removed from the skills and equipment required for wildland fire fighting, we barely knew what to do when Wanstead flats went up 3 years ago! 🤣

I'll have you know I did tremendously well with Ilford's Pump and Homerton's PL. We made an 'arm' into an 'arc' and eventually stopped it by letting it burn up to the short grass before it got to the flats and petrol station. When they made it 40, I told them not to bother. 😆🤣

Look how relaxed I am. 🥴

[Carl]

Mmmm, think I might bring back the caption competition 🤔

[BurtMacklin]

@Steve I remember seeing you in that LFB mini! It was an interesting job for sure, but comparatively it was tiny compared to the wild land jobs we see in the news!

[Steve]

Absolutely, just having a laugh.... we'd be blown away with what other brigades have to deal with in this Country let alone abroad. 

[Steve]

Having reflected though, in my experience, places over my side like Hornchurch, Wennington Romford etc, tend to hold quite significant grass/gorse fires to small attendances where they are in the middle of nowhere. Move across a mile or so to Hornchurch Country park, where the gorse and wild grass are surrounded by housing estates with £6/700k houses, the dynamic changes somewhat and that is where LFB have their 10/15 pump grass fires. Essentially machines pulled into closes or cul-de-sac's to protect the real etate from an approaching fire. Move over to Wanstead flats, where the ground is very peaty and the fires difficult to tackle and the houses surrounding that are £1m/£2m plus and it changes again? 

[BurtMacklin]

That’s pretty reasonable, i do think there is a disparity between inner and outer London stations abilities at these incidents which can only be attributed to experience. the training we have doesn’t currently compensate  for this, I’d like to see us develop some tactical training packages on the subject.