Fears over part-time firefighters’ water rescue training

FIREFIGHTERS are dealing with record numbers of water-related rescues, a major conference was told yesterday.

However, members of the country’s retained fire service, who also deal with these situations, do not get the same level of training in swift water rescue techniques as their full-time brigade counterparts.

The news emerged during the first day of the Institution of Fire Engineers’ (IFE) annual general meeting.