Volunteers prepare for worst in mock disaster

STATE Emergency Service volunteers from Emerald and Knox are now prepared for anything after completing an Urban Search And Rescue (USAR) course last week.
Tim Johnson, from Emerald, and seven volunteers from Knox were part of a two-day multi-agency training exercise involving more than 200 SES volunteers from across Victoria, as well as Country Fire Authority members.
SES spokesman Peter Cocks said the volunteers were put to the test on a specially prepared training site that was designed to represent a collapsed 10-storey concrete building.
Mr Cocks said the volunteers were required to establish control at the scene, communicate with survivors, assess hazards and identify likely survival points.
He said after conducting a detailed assessment of the incident scene, course participants were required to search for and rescue trapped victims by removing rubble and packaging survivors in stretchers.
Mr Cocks said structural collapses may occur because of fire, flood, storm, earthquakes, cyclones, acts of terrorism or a tsunami.
He said the focus of the USAR training was on a multi-agency response which provides the best mix of skills, expertise and specialist resources.
“In the event of a major building collapse, it is likely all emergency services will be involved and this training is an important extension of the preparedness of SES volunteers to help in such a situation,” he said.
Mr Johnson said the training was very exciting.
“I would personally recommend the course to any emergency service volunteer,” he said.
Mr Cocks said the SES aims to have 800 of its members undertake the USAR training over the next two years.