West Yorkshire firefighters remain in Cumbria to help with flood relief effort

Around 15 firefighters from West Yorkshire remain in Cumbria today to assist with the flood relief effort.
West Yorkshire firefighters assist with flood relief effort in Cumbria. Photograph: West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue ServiceWest Yorkshire firefighters assist with flood relief effort in Cumbria. Photograph: West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
West Yorkshire firefighters assist with flood relief effort in Cumbria. Photograph: West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

West Yorkshire Fire Service sent officers to help with a national response to serious flooding which hit parts of Lancashire and Cumbria the worst.

Steve Beckley, West Yorkshire’s deputy chief fire officer, said: “We received a call from the Fire and Rescue Service National Coordination Centre late Saturday afternoon asking for support in areas which have been hardest hit from the heavy rainfall, and we were of course happy to assist with our specialist crews and officers who are trained for such situations.

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“Major flooding events often require a larger effort than the local area can deliver and this is all part of our national resilience role.

West Yorkshire firefighters assist with flood relief effort in Cumbria. Photograph: West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue ServiceWest Yorkshire firefighters assist with flood relief effort in Cumbria. Photograph: West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service
West Yorkshire firefighters assist with flood relief effort in Cumbria. Photograph: West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service

“Our crews stood up very quickly and we had three teams deployed with the ability to carry out water rescue within just a few hours.

“We also have our specialist Command Unit in Cumbria providing Enhanced Logistics Support.”

A further eight firefighters were deployed to Lancashire over the weekend but have since returned.