Three firefighters and a specialist fire dog from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS) have been deployed to Venezuela to help with the search and rescue operations following the devastating earthquakes.
Firefighter Richard Swash, Crew Manager Rob Wingar, Watch Manager Graham Currie and Search and Rescue Dog Bailey have been deployed to Venezuela as part of the UK International Search and Rescue team’s response to devastating earthquakes.
Graham and Bailey
A 68-strong team, made up of firefighters, staff and fire dogs from across UK fire and rescue services, landed in Venezuela on Saturday 27 June and were immediately deployed to a collapsed building.
Chief Fire Officer/Chief Executive Rick Hylton, said: “Our thoughts are with the people of Venezuela. We are so proud of Richard, Rob, Graham and Bailey for their efforts and we look forward to welcoming them home in the coming days.”
The team have been part of several rescues so far while searching in very high temperatures with high humidity.
Watch Manager Graham Currie and fire dog Bailey, a Search and Rescue Dog, have been deployed together for the first time since Bailey was rescued from the Dogs Trust in 2021.
Graham said: “We’ve had very arduous searches for the canines but they are doing us proud. The local citizens are lovely and make us feel very special hugging us, shaking our hands and praying for us. They absolutely love Bailey with him getting lots of cuddles and hugs.
“It’s been several long hard days with very little sleep but it’s rewarding for us able to assist. We all joined UKISAR the same reason as we joined the fire service…to help people in distress.”
UKISAR is part of the National Fire Chiefs Council’s (NFCC) National Resilience Work and is on permanent standby to mobilise and assist when requested by disaster-affected countries.
The UKISAR team will be completely self-sufficient and provides its own food, water, shelter, sanitation, communications and all necessary equipment to undertake search and rescue operations for up to 14 days. This is to ensure no additional burden is placed upon a country already suffering demands on its resources following a sudden onset disaster.
All UKISAR staff are trained to use specialist kit and the equipment being taken will ensure the team has the ability and capacity to lift, cut and remove concrete and rubble from collapsed structures.
Background on our Bailey
Bailey joined Essex County Fire and Rescue Service after being rehomed from the Dogs Trust in Loughborough in 2021.
Originally found as a stray and considered difficult to rehome because of his energetic and headstrong nature, Dogs Trust staff recognised his potential and contacted search and rescue organisations to see if he might be suitable for specialist work.
Watch Manager and Search Dog Handler Graham Currie took Bailey on a trial and quickly discovered he had a natural talent for search work. After two years of intensive training, Bailey achieved full operational licensing as a live scent Search and Rescue Dog, allowing him to deploy both in the UK and internationally as part of the UK International Search and Rescue capability.
His remarkable journey from rescue dog to rescue dog handler’s partner was recognised by the Dogs Trust, which featured his story in The Little Dog That Laughed.
More information can be found here