APA News

  • Japanese disaster experts reviews technical support team



    SFRS officers in chemical protective suits during a major incident exercise.

    The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Glasgow Scientific Services welcomed a delegation from Japan on a mission to find the world’s most advanced systems for responding to major disasters.
    Officials from the Japanese Fire and Disaster Management Agency travelled to Scotland after their government tasked the agency with renewing plans for how emergency services would act in the case of a nuclear, biological or chemical incident.
    Firefighters in Scotland have access to a unique Environmental Protection Unit and a Detection, Investigation and Monitoring vehicle that allow on-scene scientific analysis to be conducted.
    Effectively mobile laboratories, these specialist resources give Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) incident commanders the best possible information while operations are on-going.
    The Japanese delegation was also interested in the close partnerships developed between SFRS and agencies like Glasgow Scientific Services, whose expert scientists work alongside specialist hazardous materials fire and rescue officers, and the companies operating nuclear facilities.
    Disaster struck Japan in March 2011 when the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami claimed the lives of up to 18,500 people and caused severe damage to the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
    FDMA Chief of Rescue Jun Tsurumi and Assistant Director Yasutomo Nakagoshi visited the SFRS West Training Centre at Cambuslang, on the outskirts of Glasgow, on Thursday 12 September.

    http://www.firescotland.gov.uk/news-campaigns/news/2013/09/japanese-disaster-experts-visit-sfrs.aspx