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MINISTER LAUNCHES SEA FIREFIGHTING UNIT

Visiting the Dover Coastguard Station today (20 April), Secretary of State for Transport Alistair Darling has welcomed the launch of the UK's Maritime Incident Response Group (MIRG), the first specialised fire and rescue service for dealing with incidents at sea. 

Today's launch of MIRG will form an integral part of the United Kingdom's search and rescue response. It will also have the air-borne capacity to react to incidents anywhere in the country, not just at sea. 

Secretary of State for Transport Alistair Darling arrives in Dover

MIRG has 15 Fire and Rescue Service (FRS) teams located around the country, including Kent, with about 50 fire fighters in each team. Each has been specially trained in fire fighting at sea. The teams will not only fight fires but also deal with chemical hazards and free trapped people. 

In addition, the teams' specialised training, allied to a helicopter capability, will provide a valuable, additional resource for the emergency services across the UK. Each team will be reinforced with paramedics who will also be trained in the unique conditions that they will face. 

This new service is one of the first of its kind in the world and is supported by almost £3m of funding from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Department for Transport. 

Mr Darling said: "The professionalism, skill and bravery of the UK's Emergency Services are second to none. We need to continue to do all we can to help them deal with the difficult and often unpredictable situations they face day after day. 

"The New Maritime Incident Response Group will strengthen our capability to respond to fires and other emergencies that occur at sea, with highly-trained teams able to be deployed by helicopter at short notice. 

"But this new arrangement also has the potential to benefit the whole of the UK by transporting Fire and Rescue teams quickly to emergencies anywhere in the country, not just to those at sea. It will further improve the UK's standing as one of the best co-ordinated response systems anywhere in the world".