October 25, 2013
Manitoba's Urban Search and Rescue Team Stages Large-scale Outdoor Training Operation near Brandon
– – –Exercise Will Keep Team Ready for Action in Emergencies and Disasters: Braun
More than 100 members of Manitoba’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team will spend three days training in a large-scale outdoor operation near Brandon this weekend, Labour and Immigration Minister Erna Braun, minister responsible for the Office of the Fire Commissioner (OFC), said today.
The USAR team specializes in the location of trapped people in collapsed structures using dogs and sophisticated search equipment, the use of heavy equipment such as cranes to remove debris, operations to breach, shore, remove and lift structural components during an emergency or disaster, and the treatment and removal of victims.
“Our team is one of only four in Canada and I am proud that their hard work means they can be mobilized within hours and have the capacity to be self-sustaining for up to 10 days in any weather anywhere in the country,” said the minister. “The OFC staff running these exercises will keep our team up to date on their skills and the latest search and rescue technology and practices.”
The OFC co-ordinates the 100-plus-member USAR team in Manitoba, made up of emergency‑response professionals from municipal, provincial and federal services. This training opportunity gives emergency service personnel more skills in many related fields of rescue, giving them the ability to function as a unique and independent team if necessary, said Braun.
This weekend’s outdoor exercise is designed to be as realistic as possible and will incorporate K-9 teams and specialized search equipment like cameras and listening devices in a simulated structural collapse. The USAR team will remain on site in a self-contained camp and command post that will include all‑season tents, water and galley supplies, and a satellite communications system.
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