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Deployment of West Midlands Firefighters to Turkey Earthquake Disaster.

The United Kingdom Fire Service Search and Rescue Team (UKFSSART) deployed two teams to Turkey on Tuesday, 17th August at 21:35 hours from London Gatwick and Wednesday, 18th August at 20:30 hours from RAF Lineham in Wiltshire.

West Midlands Firefighters are part of both teams, team one with six members and team two with four.

TEAM ONE

Upon arrival at Istanbul at 03:15 hours, local time, local conditions and severe road congestion delayed the team in reaching their first location Golyaka, a small remote town of 15,000 population, 200 km east of Instanbul. 100 buildings were in a severe state of collapse, all essential services including telephone had failed. The team stayed until the following morning after locating all those persons still missing from information provided by the town governor.

The team relocated on the morning of the 19th August to Sakarya, a town of 400,000, approximately 130 km east of Istanbul. This area had suffered the most severe devastation with approximately 80% of the buildings damaged and 30 - 40% totally destroyed. The death toll was in excess of 2,000, with a final figure expected to be at least double that.

TEAM TWO

Upon arrival at Istanbul at 04:00 hours, local time, the team deployed to Yalova via a ferry, some 100 km east of Istanbul, to a leisure complex along the seafront at Aydinkent. There was a massive destruction to a five storey complex of holiday flats. A dog team that travelled from the UK supported the team in the initial search work to locate missing persons. Mid afternoon, on Friday, 21st August, the team redeployed to Cinarcik, where a large block of flats had collapsed. Upon arrival an Israeli rescue team was already in action, enquiries with the French and Polish rescue team established that they were withdrawing due to diminishing chances of any more live persons being found at that locality.

This is a combined task list for both teams

1. Medical assistance to the population

2. Location and extrication of live casualties

3. Location and some extrication of some casualties found to be deceased

4. Location and identification of buildings with deceased within which required extrication by heavy plant under the guidance of Search Team

5. Tunnelling operations and access to lower voids through floors, to confirm initial assessment of possible casualties by dog teams

6. Humanitarian aid and assistance to displaced persons, i.e. shelter erection

7. Inter-agency working, i.e. Turkish mines rescue, Turkish national rescue team, Swedish, German, Hungarian and British dog teams, and the Turkish Red Crescent

CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

This work was undertaken during the day and through the night in extremely hot and humid conditions (highest temperature: 43C degrees , last Friday afternoon)

EQUIPMENT

The two teams were deployed with a large quantity of search and rescue related equipment

Hydraulic heavy duty cutters and spreaders (two sets per team)

Vibraphone (vibration sensor)

Thermal imaging camera (heat detector)

UHF/VHF communications

110/240 volt generators for electric tools, charging up batteries for lighting and communications

Large quantity of various hand tools ie sledgehammers, picks, saws, bolt croppers, shovels etc.

Water purification

Crash/trauma pack

Tentage

Food provisions and cooking stoves.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The teams are proud to have released two casualties:

Team one

A man in his early twenties, trapped for 80 hours in Sakarya. This was the culmination of a protracted operation on the morning of Friday, 20th August with the Turkish mines rescue team.

Team two

A woman of sixty years, trapped for thirty seven hours in Aybinkent, adjacent to Yalva. In addition, the teams located in excess of 100 deceased, which were either removed or in the main, left in the care of relatives or civil authorities.