Media Opportunity

Issued: 20.01.10

At: 10.00am

Specialist Firefighters to Fly to Haiti to Give Medical Care

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service invite you to attend a media opportunity on: -

Thursday 21 January

10am

Southern Fire and Rescue Station, Meridian East, Leicester LE19 1WZ

Following the devastating earthquake in Haiti on 12 January 2010 specialist firefighters from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service will be flying out to the area on Friday 22 January to give medical help to people injured in the quake.

Background Information

Firefighters Mark Bryers and Kalpesh Diyar will be going to Haiti as part of a team from Humanity First, an international aid agency. They will be part of a team of some of the country’s leading physicians, paramedics and surgeons.

Upon arrival in the island’s capital Port-au-Prince, Mark and Kalpesh will work with other Humanity First medics from the USA and Canada. The team will be taking with them emergency medicines including antibiotics and other on-site medical and surgical treatments.

Mark Bryers has been in the Fire Service for 22 years with both London Fire Brigade and Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service. During that time he has held various roles, starting out as a firefighter and now working in the Training and Development Department as the Trauma Care Co-ordinator. He was part of the initial United Kingdom Fire Service Search and Rescue Team (UKFSSART) when it was set up here in Leicestershire back in 1993 and has carried that involvement on and is now part of Leicestershire’s International Search and Rescue Team (ISAR), where he undertakes a support role as Team Medic.

Kalpesh Diyar has been in the Fire Service for 21 years. He is one of Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service’s Trauma Care Instructors. Kalpesh has been a member of the International Search and Rescue Team (ISAR) since 1993. He has deployed to various disasters including the Turkish and Indian earthquakes and his main role is Team Medic. He is currently posted to Southern Station as a member of their Technical Rescue Team and USAR regional response team.

Both Mark and Kalpesh have been involved with Humanity First since 2006, when they were approached to assist them in writing a manual for their Disaster Medical Response Team. This then moved on to them helping to co-ordinate and run the courses for Humanity First to prepare their doctors and staff in going out to help provide medical aid in disaster areas. Due to the success of the courses both Mark and Kal were asked to join their team as Paramedics culminating in this current deployment to Haiti.

Interviews

Both Mark and Kalpesh will be available for interview.

Imagery

Mark and Kalpesh will be checking and packing some of their kit at the station that they will be taking to Haiti with them.

Please be aware, Mark and Kalpesh will be leaving Southern Fire and Rescue Station at around 12 noon as they will be travelling down to London to meet with the rest of the Humanity First Team and picking up kit prior to flying out sometime the next day (Friday 22 January).

Contact Information

For more information please contact:

Corporate Communications
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service
Tel: 0116 287 2241