South Wales Firefighters will be demonstrating there’s more to the job than putting out fires on Friday when they abseil down Cardiff International Arena to mark one of the highest profile Firefighting competitions in the World coming to town.

On Friday 4th July at 11am, Crew Manager Raz Prince and Firefighter Mike Paul from Barry and Malpas Fire Stations will abseil down the front of Wales’ premier indoor event venue – the CIA.

Carrying the World Rescue Wales 2008 flag, the pair hope to demonstrate that modern day Firefighters are equipped to rescue casualties in any situation, using more than just water, ladders and pumps!

‘World Rescue Wales’ begins on Thursday 10th July, and teams of Firefighters from all over the world will be competing in several rescue challenges to take the world title.

Notably, the World Extrication Challenge is one of the most prestigious titles on offer, won in 2005 by South Wales’ Bridgend team in New Zealand, and will be the showcase event, demonstrating casualty extrication skills in road traffic collisions.

Registered teams include: Sweden, UK (ten teams), France, Australia, Canada, Luxembourg, Germany (four teams), USA, Spain (five teams), Ghana, South Africa, Hungary, Southern Ireland and Serbia.

This event, in conjunction with the World Rescue Organisation has been organised by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service and hopes to attract public spectators to the CIA to watch the events unfold. One of the events, which looks set to provide great entertainment, is the UK’s Fittest Firefighter Challenges which runs on Friday 11th and Saturday 12th July. Entry on every day is free to the public. More information is available on the website www.worldrescue-wales.org.uk

Event organiser and Area Manager Steve Martin from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said, “There is so much emphasis on the rescue part of our job now that this event is huge for the Fire and Rescue Services of the world. South Wales Fire and Rescue Service is very proud to host this event and we’re looking forward to meeting our colleagues from all corners of the world and showing giving them a taste Welsh hospitality.”
The introduction of the Fire and Rescue Services Act in 2004 represented the most significant legislative change in the operation of the Fire and Rescue Services in the last 50 years. Firefighters are now trained in a wide range of rescue techniques including water rescue, line rescue, road traffic collision rescue, large animal rescue and building collapse search and rescue. The Fire and Rescue Service became a primary rescue service at road traffic collisions, and the range of skills required for firefighters now is much broader than it was just five years ago. This will be evident in the extrication, building search and rescue and best first aiders competitions over the course of the World Rescue Wales event.