The UK has a successful record for urban search and rescue. But the New Dimension programme enhances this expertise. The USAR capability includes equipment to lift, cut and remove rubble from collapsed structures, and to locate and rescue casualties.

There are lots of different causes of USAR incidents. They include accidental events, such as earthquakes and severe weather conditions, like storms, snow, ice and floods and events that are deliberate such as malicious, criminal or terrorist acts which may result in structural instability or collapse of buildings or any other structures.

New skills include working in confined spaces, safe working at heights carrying out search and rescue operations in a multi-level collapsed building, technical search, and shoring, breaking and breaching skills, lifting and moving, using basic principles, coupled with modern technology, to move and stabilise heavy masses.

The programme was established following the September 11 2001 attacks on the World Trade Centre.

It provides the fire and rescue service with equipment, procedures and training to respond to a range of threats including:

• Terrorist CBRN threats
• Chemical, Biological, Radiological and
• Nuclear incidents
• Industrial and domestic accidents
• Chemical spills and collapsed buildings
• Natural disasters
• Floods and earthquakes

All USAR technicians at Alloa fire station have undergone extensive training in the main disciplines of :

• Technical Search & Rescue
• Shoring
• Breaking & Breaching
• Lifting & Moving
• Rope Rescue & Safe working at height
• Rope Rescue & casualty extrication
• Confined spaces

Central Scotland Fire & Rescue's USAR Teams use the latest "state of the art" USAR equipment such as:

• Technical Search Cameras
• Listening devices and communications probes
• Cutting, drilling, breaching & breaking equipment
• Timber cutting equipment
• Propping & shoring equipment
• Heavy capacity airbags
• Lighting and power generation
• Hand tools