First responseOne third of U.K.'s specialized terrorist response vehicles to be scrapped
In 2004, to meet the threat of terrorists using chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons in an attack in the United Kingdom, the government introduced the Incident Response Units (IRUs), with their distinctive red coloring with yellow stripes, at a cost of £54 million. To save money, one third of all the fire brigade vehicles which were part of the IRUs, and which would have been called out in the event of terrorists setting off a “dirty bomb,” are being scrapped.
In 2004, following the U.K. government 2003 decision to participate in the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the British security authorities were growing anxious about possible terrorist retaliation for the U.K. participation in the war and the occupation of Iraq which followed.
To meet that threat, the Incident Response Units (IRUs), with their distinctive red coloring with yellow stripes, were introduced at a cost of £54 million.
The Independent reports that to save money, one third of all the fire brigade vehicles which were part of the IRUs, and which would have been called out in the event of terrorists setting off a “dirty bomb,” are being scrapped.
The decision was taken in secrecy, and critics note that it contradicts other measures taken by the government to increase funding of intelligence and law enforcement agencies for the specific purpose of bolstering the ability of the government to thwart and, if need be, deal with acts of terror.
The IRU vehicles were equipped with the latest technology to deal with a chemical, biological, or nuclear attack. They have been distributed to different fire stations around the country so that they would not have to travel far to the site of an incident.
The vehicles do not belong to the fire brigade but to the Department of Communities and Local Government, and may be dispatched to the site of an incident only with the department’s authorization.
Their IRUs vehicles also each carry dozens of specialized, and expensive, protective clothing called power respirator protective suits (PRPS). These suits must be replaced every ten years, and the need to do so next month was behind the department’s decision to scrap 22 of the 63 IRUs, rather than replace the PRPS on all the vehicles.
Earlier this month the department circulated a briefing note to all the fire stations hosting the IRUs, saying: “The 22 IRUs identified as surplus to requirements will be considered ‘off the run’ from 31 December. It has been necessary to remove the vehicles from service almost immediately due to the imminent expiry dates of the PRPS carried on these vehicles. The remaining 43 IRUs will be issued with replacement PRPS over the next two weeks.”
The Independent notes that the Labor Party and the Fire Brigades Union criticized the decision. Andy Burnham, Labor’s shadow Home Secretary, said: “It cannot possibly be the right time to cut, by a third, our ability to respond to serious terrorist incidents. Not only is it the wrong time, but it is even worse that these plans are being hatched in secret, without any public information or consultation. Ministers must put these plans on hold immediately and make a statement to Parliament as soon as it returns.”
