Enhanced Rescue Unit (ERU) Inter Service Transfer

Your Role:

Greater Manchester’s Enhanced Rescue Unit (ERU) is a highly trained team responding to complex emergencies that go beyond standard firefighting. Equipped with specialist skills and cutting-edge equipment, ERU operatives play a critical role in protecting life and property across Greater Manchester.

What We Do;

The ERU responds to a wide range of high-risk incidents, including:

Water Rescue – ERU teams are Swiftwater Technician-trained and accredited by Rescue 3, ensuring fast and effective rescues in rivers, floods, and submerged environments. Working alongside Water Incident Units (WIU) in Eccles and Heywood, ERU operatives provide expert rescue capabilities.

Rope Rescue – Specialists in complex rope rescue operations, ERU operatives are trained to handle high-elevation emergencies, including tower cranes, sports stadiums, historic buildings, and industrial structures.

Heavy Rescue – Providing enhanced extrication capabilities at serious Road Traffic Collisions (RTCs), rail incidents, and Metrolink emergencies. Equipped with high-powered cutting tools, stabilisation gear, airbags, and specialist shoring equipment, ERU operatives make complex rescues possible.

Urban Search & Rescue (USAR) – ERU teams respond to collapsed structures, carrying out tunnelling, breaking and breaching, structural shoring, and casualty extrication using cutting-edge equipment, including snake-eye cameras and reinforced breaching tools.

Confined Space Rescue – Trained in restricted access operations, ERU operatives manage emergencies like trench collapses and entrapments, ensuring safe recovery.

Bariatric Rescue – Using advanced USAR techniques, ERU personnel execute complex rescues requiring reinforced flooring, structural adjustments, and specialist stretchers for safe extrication.

International Search & Rescue (ISAR) -operatives possess the specialist skills required for ISAR missions and participate in annual training exercises (summer and winter) with international partners. Please note: ERS staff are not automatically enrolled in ISAR—a separate selection process determines deployment eligibility.

Enhanced Safety Team (EST) – At major incidents (Make Pumps 6+), ERU operatives form an Enhanced Safety Team (EST), proactively improving health and safety on the incident ground. Key responsibilities include: providing tactical and practical advice to incident commanders, carrying out a risk assessment via a 360-degree survey of the exterior of the building, monitor the integrity of the building, identify options to improve access/egress such as the removal of security bars/devices and provide illumination at access and egress points.