Specialist fire rescue units, similar to those used at the Potters Bar crash site, could be assigned to give coverage to any part of London within 15 minutes of an emergency call.

The vehicles can deal with anything from road accidents and chemical spillages to people trapped in collapsed buildings.

They carry equipment for heavy lifting, winching, cutting and pulling as well as a "snake eye" camera that can be squeezed into small gaps to allow doctors to examine a trapped person's injuries.

If the plan gets the go-ahead next month, London will boast two new units as well as three operational resource centres that can deploy equipment not normally carried by regular fire engines.

9:01am Friday 14th June 2002

SourceL Wandsworth Guardian