The Festival of Rescue challenges

THE teams involved will face the following situations which they must use their skills and knowledge to resolve within set time limits.

■■Vehicle Extrication Challenge – in a simulated road accident, people are trapped inside and must be rescued safely.

■■Trauma Care Challenge – a hazardous scenario has left a casualty injured.

■■Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Challenge – this involves various scenarios to test skills to the max, including shoring up and stabilising a coach to rescue a casualty from underneath; lifting and moving a one-ton block over obstacles, and using specialist cameras and listening equipment to locate someone trapped in a simulated collapsed building.

■■Rope Rescue Challenge – another series of scenarios simulating a casualty to be rescued using rope rescue equipment, including rescues from the Millennium Bridge, the top of Baltic art gallery and down the embankment beside Sage Gateshead.

■■Water Rescue Challenge – simulations involve a rescue from water with eight teams taking part over the two days.