FIREFIGHTERS have been using a Second World War fort in Harwich to prepare for specialist missions around the world.
The Essex Fire and Rescue Service's Urban Search And Rescue Team has been training at the Beacon Hill Fort for international missions.
Based in Lexden, the specialist unit practised rope, drone and water rescues and what to do in the event of a building collapse.
Previously firefighters who are part of the unit have been deployed in the aftermath of earthquakes in Turkey and floodings in Malawi and Morocco.
Tom Jewell, of the Essex Fire and Rescue Service, who recently returned from Morocco, said: “Our team is always on the lookout for new and exciting sites to test our capability should we need to respond to these types of incidents.
“As you can imagine finding these sites can be quite difficult.”
“This has proved to be invaluable for our team and we cannot thank him enough for allowing us access to this brilliant site.
“In supporting us Beacon Hill Fort has enabled our team to gain the experience we need to respond to major incidents as well as building our confidence in the skills we need to save lives.”
The site has also been used by the Search and Rescue Dog team, who practised searching for casualties.
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