FIREFIGHTERS from Dudley are among a UK team deployed to Greece to help in the fight against wildfires which continue to devastate parts of the country.
Russ Gauden and Lee Howell are among the West Midlands Fire Service personnel who have flown out to Athens to help save homes and lives from the flames which are being attributed to Greece's most severe heatwave in 30 years.
Russ, from Kinver, who has worked as watch commander at Dudley Fire Station and is currently seconded to Merseyside, is the deputy team leader on the mission, having been part of international rescue efforts for some years; while Lee Howell, from Dudley, a WMFS watch commander, is undertaking his first international deployment.
Shyam Rana, watch commander from WMFS's technical rescue division at Bickenhill, is serving on his fourth international deployment, having previously helped with rescue efforts in the Bosnian floods in 2014.
The team from West Midlands Fire Service are part of a 21-strong deployment which includes fire service personnel from Merseyside, Lancashire, South Wales and London fire services involved in the mission.
The National Resilience Team - acting on behalf of the National Fire Chiefs Council – was formally requested by the Home Secretary to ascertain what operational assistance the UK could offer to Greece where temperatures have soared to more than 40 degrees centigrade in some areas, with more fires expected with forecasts of strong winds and searing temperatures.
The team flew out yesterday (Sunday August 8) and Phil Loach, chief fire officer for West Midlands Fire Service, said: “We are proud to be working in conjunction with the NFCC on this National Resilience Deployment, helping with what has been truly devastating for the Greek people. Our thoughts are with those who have lost possessions, homes and sadly in some cases, their lives.
"We will continue to offer assistance with any additional requests from the NFCC where we can lend our expertise."
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