English partner demonstrates equipment

In June the Dutch, Belgian and French MIRG-EU partners visited their colleagues in Kent, England to see the equipment the Kent Fire and Rescue Service uses.

The working group Equipment has set up a preliminary list with all necessary items for a well prepared MIRG. 29 June the members of the group visited Kent Fire and Rescue Service. During the meeting, they checked the equipment of MIRG UK and evaluated whether their own equipment list was complete and the items were adequate to fight incidents on vessels. The working group will carry out a final check in September based on the operations manual. After this check the equipment will be purchased.

MIRG EX is an international joint partnership. Safety Region Zeeland (NL), which brings together crisis management, fire fighters and medical assistance, is lead partner. The other partners in the project are: the Fire Brigades of Antwerp, Beveren and Ghent (BE). These brigades are linked to important international ports, that accommodate large chemical production plants. Being able to effectively fight fires on board ships is simply essential. In addition to the fire brigades, the Federal Organisation of Public Civil Assistance in Brugge, the Agency for Maritime and Coastal Services-Shipping Assistance Division and the Maatschappij van de Brugse Zeehaven nv (Zeebrugge Port Authority) are partners in the MIRG-EX project. The French Service départemental d’incendie et de secours de Pas-de-Calais and the English Kent Fire and Rescue Service complete the partnership. Both are confronted with heavy traffic on the Channel and the North Sea. An incident may be just around the corner, but this doesn’t mean it can be easily reached let alone be dealt with. Working with similar teams on both shores, reduces will help to reduce response time.

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