A FIREFIGHTER from Ashton-under-Lyne is part of a team that has flown out to Morocco to help with national research and rescue efforts following a devastating earthquake in the country.
The five firefighters from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service flew out to Marrakesh on Sunday evening.
They are part of a UK International Search and Rescue (UKISAR) team made up of 60 operational crew members from 14 fire and rescue services.
The team has been deployed through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office following a request for support from the Moroccan government, after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck on Friday, September 8.
Watch Manager Gavin Kearsley, who is from Ashton Technical Response Unit, will be a crew leader.
He will be joined by Station Manager Martin Foran, who is acting as Operations Commander and also travelled to Turkey earlier this year to support the UKISAR search and rescue operation following the earthquake on the Turkey-Syria border.
Watch Managers John Hughes and Simon Cording from Leigh’s Technical Response Unit and Crew Manager Ross Strother from Greater Manchester’s Technical Training Team will all be technicians.
The Greater Manchester response is being coordinated back at home by Watch Manager Mike Hurst, who also joined the Turkey response back in February.
Barry Moore, Assistant Chief Fire Officer at Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, said: “GMFRS is pleased to be supporting the national search and rescue operation in Morocco and we send our thoughts to the people of Morocco and everyone affected by this devastating event.
“Our team of five highly skilled search and rescue technicians have safely arrived in Marrakesh, where they have set up a base of operations and we expect to hear more from the team in the coming days, but we are grateful to them and to their families.”