Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service declared National champions at UK Rescue Challenge
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service has been crowned National Extrication Champions at the UK’s biggest rescue challenge competition.

After battling against 36 other teams in road traffic collision scenarios, the Hampshire team have taken the winner’s title at the UK Rescue Challenge.
More than 400 people flocked to see the spectacle involving hundreds of firefighters competing in a range of skill areas, in a specially constructed area near the BT Convention Centre and Kings Dock and Queens Dock in Liverpool.
In total 600 competitors were at the event staged by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, working with the United Kingdom Rescue Organisation.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service also won the best Medical Team and best Technical Team in the Extrication Challenge.
Hampshire’s Extrication Team Manager Lee Havey said: “It is absolutely fantastic to take away the winner’s title for extrication. We are very confident in our firefighters abilities when they attend extrications and now that we have been crowned the National champions, it just shows that what we do, we do very well.

“We are also very pleased that the extrication team will now go forward to represent the UK at the World Rescue Challenge being held in Clearwater, Florida in October.”
The range of challenges this year included rope rescue, casualty management/trauma care, extrication/vehicle rescue, water rescue and Urban Search and Rescue (USAR).
In addition to the RTC challenge Hampshire entered the first aid/trauma and water rescue challenges and were placed a very credible fifth and eighth place respectively.
The Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service’s extrication team has previously held the winners trophy at the World and European championships during the team’s 27 year history, but this is the first time that they have taken the national title.
Awards were presented by sponsors and Chief Fire Officer Steve Apter, Chair of UKRO, at the awards ceremony.
Chief Fire Officer Apter said: “The range of skills and professionalism on show during the event was fantastic and it was great to see all of the teams’ efforts recognised by those at the closing ceremony and awards ceremony in Liverpool.
“This is the largest rescue challenge of its kind in the world.”
The Hampshire team was made up of, Watch Manager Lee Havey (Incident Commander) and Firefighter Brian Saunders, Havant Fire Station, Firefighter Steve Morris (Medic), Eastleigh Fire Station, Watch Manager Trevor Griffin (Medic) Eastleigh Training Centre, Crew Manager Etienne Patterson (Tools), Andover Fire Station and Firefighter Martin Gritt (Tools) Winchester Fire Station.

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