USAR exercise ready for disaster

The boiler house at the old Dannevirke Hospital was a busy place on Friday February 21 as the Central Region Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team held an exercise to simulate its response to a major earthquake.

Deputy Team Leader Nick Pyatt who is Principal Rural Fire Officer for Tararua and Wairarapa said it was a very rare opportunity to carry out an exercise on a building set for demolition and it was ideal for the scenario.

The scenario involved a 7.5 earthquake, 10km off the coast of Herbertville causing major damage and casualties. The Central USAR team responded on behalf of the Horizons Emergency Management Group after the Tararua District Council declared a state of emergency.

There were 47 members from all over New Zealand but predominantly the southern North Island including TDC CEO Blair King as the local engineer.

A communications HQ was set up using the latest online programme running since January. This allows the latest information to be used to direct people and equipment to the most urgent locations.

The Central USAR group on Friday consisted of four teams of about 10, each tasked with a specific challenge which were were swapped around every two hours over eight hours so that all could gain experience.

The boiler house was identified as the location of people trapped but was in danger of collapse. The four teams had to shore up both sides, drill though concrete and steel to provide ventilation and rescue an injured person off a tower.

Run by Fire and Emergency New Zealand, USAR is accredited by the United Nations and the Central Region is based in Palmerston North covering Manawatu¯ , Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa. It combines other agencies like St John, local fire brigades and the NZ Search Dog

Association.

Their gear includes new electrical equipment like ring saws and chainsaws capable of cutting concrete.

The USAR teams have been deployed in all the major natural events like the Christchurch earthquake where it worked on the CT building, the Edgecumbe floods, Pacific Island hurricane damage and an earthquake in Hokkaido, Japan.

It has drones able to sense hot spots at night to help fire-fighters work more efficiently.

The exercise was declared a success by Ken Cooper, its team leader.

Some of the logistics needed to support the USAR exercise

Team one is tasked with shoring up the wall.

Team Three is tasked with building access into and out of the building.

Team Two is tasked with rescuing an injured victim from the tower.