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by Katie Lamborn

A £1.4million centre for Kent's
specialist firefighters, some of whom went
to earthquake-hit Haiti to help in
the international rescue effort, has opened in
Maidstone.

Kent's Urban Search and
Rescue team (USAR) is one of 20 teams set up across
the UK to respond to major incidents on a national and local
scale.

Five large 'modules', which carry a range of specialist
equipment, are based at the new site in Loose Road. It took two
years to build.

Specialist items include listening devices and cameras, heavy
cutting and breaking tools to cut through concrete and equipment
used to stablise building that have collapsed.

Chief Fire Officer Charlie Hendry said: "The tragic events
witnessed abroad in Haiti and Indonesia recently and the
devastation caused by the flooding in parts of the Cumbria,
together with terrorist attacks in New York and London. have
provided learning opportunities for the fire and rescue
services across the globe.

"Today we are able to demostrate the capability we now have in
the UK fire and rescue service to deal with these major
incidents."