URBAN SEARCH AND RESCUE TASK FORCE

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (14:54): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Emergency Services a question about the training of the Urban Search and Rescue taskforce.

Leave granted.

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY: On 7 December last year, the minister informed members of the development of a highly trained group to deal with any major structural collapse, such as that which occurred following the Oklahoma city bombing, recent earthquakes, and 11 September. Is the minister able to provide an update on that program of training?

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Road Safety, Minister Assisting the Minister for Multicultural Affairs) (14:55): I thank the honourable member for his important question. Members may recall that when I spoke on this matter previously it was on the occasion of the first South Australian USAR exercise conducted as part of an intense three-week USAR training course.

I was pleased to be invited to attend the third USAR training course graduations on Thursday 1 November 2007 and to present certificates to graduates of the category 2 technicians course. Members may recall that the majority of emergency services personnel (over 850) are currently trained to category 1 USAR, the surface search level. A smaller, more highly trained group of over 100 personnel will be trained at the category 2 level.

This course sees around 100 personnel now trained at the category 2 level and available for deployment should they be required. The USAR task force members come not only from my portfolio agencies of the Metropolitan Fire Service, State Emergency Services and Country Fire Service but also from SA Ambulance Service, the Department of Health and the Department of Transport, Energy and Infrastructure.

While we hope we never have to use those skills, it is essential that we are prepared and have a highly trained multi-agency task force ready to respond. The course aims to train members to remove trapped and often injured victims from collapsed structures or environments and to provide emergency medical care. These skills could be required following an earthquake, terrorist incident, an aircraft crash or any other structural collapse incident.

This really is another step towards qualifying our USAR task force, a project which has been undertaken through a cost-sharing agreement with the commonwealth government. I congratulate the 24 graduates of the course who are members of the South Australian Ambulance Service, SES and MFS, and two of whom are members of the ACT Fire Service.

The development and delivery of this course also sees close collaboration with interstate and specialist agencies, with the Queensland Fire Service, Melbourne Fire Service, New South Wales Fire Service, and Victorian Australian Search Dog Association members in attendance.

In times of emergency, these close cross-agency relationships may well play an important part in the success of any national, and possibly international, participation and cooperation. The USAR task force operates under the leadership of the MFS at the Angle Park Training Centre, with the SES and SAAS members playing a key role in the delivery of the training program.