GM firefighters secure Dubai World Rescue Challenge

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service’s trauma and extrication teams travelled to Essex to compete in the United Kingdom Rescue Organisation’s National Rescue Challenge, returning home with a series of awards as well as qualifications for future international events.

The service’s Trauma Team achieved its highest placing in the National Trauma Challenge, with Laura-Jo Dicken and Tom Wilk finishing third overall.

Their podium finish has earned them an invitation to represent the UK at the World Rescue Challenge in Dubai in 2027.

The success did not stop there.

GMFRS‘s Extrication Team, made up of Ian Melville, Steve Fisher, Ashley Capper, Simon Moore and David Nelson, also impressed judges across a range of challenges.

The team secured third place in the Heavy Rescue Challenge as part of a two-team event with South Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

They also claimed second place in the RTC Extrication Challenge, a result that has secured another invitation to next year’s World Rescue Challenge.

Individual honours were also awarded to members of the Greater Manchester team.

Ian Melville was named Best Incident Commander, while Steve Fisher finished as runner-up in the Best Medic category.

The competition sees fire and rescue teams from across the UK tested on realistic rescue scenarios designed to assess leadership, casualty care, teamwork and technical rescue skills.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said it was proud of the achievements of all those who took part, with the results reflecting the dedication and expertise of the firefighters involved.

The strong showing means Greater Manchester will now have the opportunity to showcase its rescue skills on the international stage, with firefighters preparing to compete against some of the world’s leading rescue teams in the coming years.