Blaze support scheme extended

A PILOT scheme to help victims of fire get their lives back on track has begun in Oldham.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service’s Post Incident Team (PIT) supports those whose lives have been disrupted by an emergency.

The volunteer-led team was being piloted in Wigan, Bolton and Manchester, and volunteers provided support to the residents of Shaw after the Buckley Street blast. The scheme has now been officially extended to all 10 districts of Greater Manchester

PIT volunteers worked with fire-fighters to reunite Buckley Street residents with their pets and items urgently needed from their homes while the community was evacuated from the area.

Teams of three cover shifts between 8am and 8pm most days and they are activated by the commander in charge of an incident if victims decide they need help.

The team is made up entirely of GMFRS volunteers. Existing equipment, including a van, has been used to set up the team, which has consequently involved almost no cost. Find out more about becoming a volunteer at www.manchesterfire.gov.uk/working_for_us/become_a_volunteer.aspx