QFRS Special Operations Unit -"Flexible Habititat Capability" on show

The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service’s world-class disaster and emergency deployment capability was on show recently in Brisbane at a special open day for media, government agencies and emergency services. The Special Operations Unit is the home of Queensland’s Urban Search and Rescue Taskforce, which is accredited by the United Nations International Search and Rescue Advisory Group to respond to major events in the Asia-Pacific region. Its most recent deployments have included providing support to communities affected by earthquakes in Samoa and Indonesia.Its primary role is to respond to and support disaster and emergency operations in Queensland and across Australia as required.The Queensland Urban Search and Rescue Taskforce also work very closely with Queensland Police Service Forensics and Disaster Victim Identification teams during major incidents.

The unit is highly skilled and highly respected and leads the way in disaster response in the region.

The Western Shelter Systems deployable shelters and ancillary equipment allows teams to operate in a self-sustainable manner from days to months out in the field.

The QFRS system comprises 24 Western Shelter tents that can be configured in a variety of ways to support disaster management agencies or an affected community with showers, toilets and catering areas. It also provides a central point with power and lighting for the command and control of field operations.

The Special Operations Unit has tested the system during a drill exercise run in conjunction with the Queensland Police Service. This has helped them to assess the team’s capability to quickly deploy the ‘flexible habitat’ in support of QPS Forensics and Disaster Victim Identification teams at the site of a hypothetical disaster in Brisbane.