In January 2003 the 'sea of change' project was launched by the Maritime coastguard agency (MCA) at the request of the Secretary of State for Transport. The sea of change is primarily an MCA sponsored firefighting at sea research project, carried out in close co-operation with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) and has resulted in the formation of the UK Maritime Incident response Group (MIRG).
The project team worked closely with coastal Fire and Rescue services, as well as other interested parties including HM Fire Service Inspectorate; the Fire Service College and Fire Policy Division, the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA), and the MoD. The primary goal of the project was to formalise an integrated response to assist the MCA in dealing with incidents involving fire, chemical hazards and rescue at sea.
MIRG comprises 15 Fire and Rescue Service teams strategically located around the country, with about 50 fire fighters in each team.
- Highland and Islands.
- East Sussex.
- Jersey.
- Lothian and Borders.
- Hampshire.
- Northumberland.
- Cornwall.
- Humberside.
- Mid and West Wales.
- Lincolnshire.
- North Wales.
- Suffolk.
- Strathclyde.
- Kent.
- Guernsey.
Each team has been specially trained to tackle fire in the marine environment and is equipped with the lighter, more compact equipment required when travelling by helicopter to the scene of an incident. The teams will not only fight fires but also deal with chemical hazards and free trapped personnel. Each Marine incident response team has been trained in helicopter familiarisation, sea survival, helicopter underwater escape and helicopter winching as well as additional training in ship construction, stability, communications and ship firefighting tactics.
In addition, the team's specialised training, allied to a helicopter capability, will provide a valuable, additional resource for the emergency services across the rest of the UK. Each team will be reinforced with paramedics who will also be trained in the unique conditions that they will face.
This new service, one of the first of its kind in the world, is the result of a major project supported by almost £3m of funding from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Department for Transport.
For more information, visit the Official website of MIRG.