§ Mr. GroganTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what activities, other than those directly related to the provision of fire cover to UK military forces, the Defence Fire Service has been involved in in Iraq since February. [143754]
§ Mr. IngramThe Defence Fire Services deployed in Iraq assist in the provision of fire service support to coalition forces and provide advice on the production of fire safety orders and procedures to enhance safety.
They have also provided assistance to the host nation and the civil community. They continue to train the host nation civilian fire service and have attended a variety of emergency host nation incidents including oil pipeline fires, road traffic accidents, and rescue from buildings. They have also undertaken comprehensive fire inspections to enable the re-commissioning of electricity and water supplies and have assisted in the sanitation of warehouses for receipt of humanitarian aid.