USAR team mobilised to Milton Keynes

The Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team from Beaconsfield made a vital contribution to the rescue operation which followed a scaffolding collapse in central Milton Keynes in mid-April. FRS explains how the incident was handled.

A USAR team member supports a colleague who is directing one of the specialist search and rescue dogs beneath the scaffolding pile. Photo: Buckinghamshire FRS

Air Ambulance on standby for any further casualties. Photo: Buckinghamshire FRS

Up to 200 workmen were at the hotel building site on 11 April  2006 when 14 floors of scaffolding came down. Three construction workers were injured, one of whom died in hospital three days later.

Major incident

The first call to the incident was received at Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service control room at 12.37 pm. Crews and appliances from Great Holm, Broughton and Newport Pagnell were first at the scene. They undertook an immediate rescue operation to locate casualties within the collapsed structure.

A major incident was declared and the Urban Search and Rescue unit was mobilised in support. Up to 60 fire and rescue staff were at the scene at its peak, including supporting appliances and firefighters from Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire fire and rescue services.

Locating the casualties

Three thermal imaging cameras were used to search the site and the locations of the trapped casualties were swiftly identified.  The decision was taken to ‘rapidly extricate’ all three casualties from the unstable structure, and the first crews at the scene carried out the initial rescues.

Rescuing the casualties

Three workmen, all seriously injured, were located close to the top of the large pile of collapsed scaffolding. The rubble pile was unstable and surrounded by hanging debris. This, together with the high winds, presented a particularly hazardous environment for the rescue crews.  The casualties had been partially buried under scaffolding poles and wooden planks. They were carefully manoeuvred to safety using longboards and paraguard stretchers.

Firefighters talked to the casualties before and during the rescue to reduce the risk of them losing consciousness. A “human chain” was formed by firefighters and ambulance staff to move the casualties to a safe protected area within the inner cordon. They were handed over to paramedics for expert medical care and attention, and airlifted to hospital.

Search dogs

A more thorough search to locate any further trapped casualties was then undertaken by the Urban Search and Rescue Unit from Beaconsfield, with its specialist crew and equipment. They were assisted by two search and rescue dogs - Gemma, from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service, and Morse, from the R.A.P.I.D (Response and Preparedness in Disaster) organisation. 

The Search and Rescue Unit crew crawled through the scaffolding and rubble, looking for gaps and voids where other injured people might be hidden. During this time safety officers scrutinised the hanging scaffolding which was in danger of falling in high winds – and listened for noises warning of a further collapse.

Search equipment

The technical search equipment used included ‘searchcams’ mounted on extendable telescopic poles, and bendable ‘snake eye’ cameras. Both of these relayed pictures to remote screens monitored by colleagues, allowing about 70 % of the area to be searched.

Handover

The search dogs were then returned to the site to search the remaining 30 % of ‘non-survivable’ voids and check areas which would otherwise be inaccessible. No further casualties were found and, at this point, Thames Valley Police, who had set up the cordon at the site, confirmed that all persons had been accounted for. The scene was formally handed over to the police and the Health and Safety Executive at 08.30 hours the following morning for further investigation.

Media interest

There was enormous local and national media interest in this incident. Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service provided updates and statements, including at least 20 live interviews, to more than a dozen media organisations during the afternoon. The incident was given "breaking news" treatment on Sky News and BBC News 24.

Role of New Dimension

This incident illustrates how search and rescue skills, experience and equipment are able to complement and support the skill, procedures and equipment that firefighters bring to a major incident.  And it underlines once again the value of the New Dimension equipment, not just at high profile incidents such as Buncefield or the 7 July bombings, but in the day to day response of the service.

Complementary skills

The fire and rescue crews were at the incident in minutes. They were able to carry out a successful rescue and a preliminary search of the site with thermal imaging cameras. The USAR crew were then able to provide a comprehensive follow-up search.  Firefighters acted as safety officers while the USAR searches were carried out. Once again, both incident command and operational response rose to the challenge.

Des Williamson, Assistant Chief Fire Officer of Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service praised the effort of all those involved in the rescue. He said, “Our firefighters constantly have to rise to this sort of challenge and I would like to thank them and congratulate them for what they did”.