Greater Manchester fire fighters ready to assist Haiti

Date published: 14 January 2010

Following the terrible earthquake in Haiti on the 12 January 2010, 9 members of Greater Manchester Fire Rescue Service have travelled down to Gatwick Airport as part of the UK Fire Service International Search and Rescue Team, preparing to fly out and assist colleagues from other Fire and Rescue Services around the country with the rescue efforts.

The team members from Greater Manchester are:

• Peter Stevenson, 48, Operations Commander Rochdale Borough, 30 years in service, from Oldham
• Simon Cording, 35, Rescue Technician Sale, 12 years in service, from Wigan
• Andy Roughley, 48, Team Leader/Rescue Technician Eccles, 24 years in service, from Eccles
• Martin Fisher, 49, Rescue Technician Training Centre, 25 years in service, from Radcliffe
• Martin Foran, 29, Rescue Technician Chadderton, 9 years in service, from Haslingden 
• Vic Kopicki, 50, Rescue Technician Eccles, 28 years in service, from  Bolton
• Dean Nankivell, 43, Rescue Technician Fire Service HQ, 18 years in service, from Glossop
• John Hughes, 38, Rescue Technician Salford, 12 years in service, from St Helens 
• Mick Dewar, 41, Dog handler/ Rescue Technician Fire Investigation Unit, 19 years in service, from Kearsley

Pete Stevenson, who leads the GMFRS team and has been designated as Operations Commander for the UK contingent said “I have no doubt this will be an extremely challenging situation but we will do our utmost to use our equipment and training to help the people of Haiti. Some of the team members have previous experience of dealing with the aftermath of earthquakes in India, Turkey, Algeria and Pakistan and will utilise everything they have learned previously.”