Accident Rescue Hero Squad

Coming up on Hero Squad...

Six wannabe heroes...

..facing the worst nature can throw at them.

There's a new emergency crew in town.

I'm Rav Wilding, and this is Hero Squad!

Six ordinary school kids.

Their mission? To learn how to save lives.

But do they have what it takes to become real life heroes?

In just two days, these six young cadets must transform themselves

into a fire and rescue team, for an extraordinary Hero Squad challenge.

A man's trapped in the wreckage of a car crash.

His spine's so badly injured, he can't move.

He needs the Hero Squad to get him out.

12-year-olds are about to be trusted with some serious power tools!

The cadets are in Greater Manchester,

home to 2.5 million people,

and one of the UK's largest emergency services.

Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service

covers a massive 500 square miles.

And with so many busy roads and motorways,

its firefighters do much more than put out fires.

Every year, they deal with more than 1,000 serious road accidents.

It's a dangerous and highly skilled job.

The cadets have a lot to learn.

Good job they've got a mentor with plenty of experience.

Good morning. I am station commander Mark Turner, I'll be your mentor.

Mark Turner's been in the job for almost 30 years,

and runs a team of 40 firefighters.

Somehow, he's got to transform the cadets

into a proper fire and rescue crew.

One that knows its way around a fire engine!

When firefighters arrive on scene, they must get their equipment

ready in seconds, so they start the rescue and get the casualty out.

So, Mark's setting the cadets a challenge -

to find key items as quickly as possible.

Go!

What are you looking for? First aid?

As their mentor, Mark is looking for a squad leader who will take

charge of tomorrow's Hero Squad challenge.

So they need to impress him.

At first - chaos.

The cadets are all chasing after the same bits of equipment -

and getting in each other's way.

Where's the stretcher?

What's Andy doing?

It's taken more than two minutes to find the key equipment

they'll need in tomorrow's rescue.

Blocks, to keep the car steady.

A shield, to protect the casualty.

And a long board, to lift him out.

And stop there, OK.

It's not good enough.

Getting the gear off the pump should be just like that.

You know exactly where everything is.

If you see someone else needs help, help them out.

So turn around, face the other way while the guys put it back on.

The cadets need to organise themselves as a team,

so everyone's got a job and knows exactly what they're doing.

-So I'll get the first aid.

-I'll get the shield.

Go!

That's more like it.

That's it, Andy.

A lot more urgency from Andy. It's good to see.

By taking responsibility for one item each,

and then helping each other, they're getting the job done quick.

Real quick.

Good, Andy, well done.

The cadets are starting to look more and more like a fire crew.

And stop there.

First time round, you did it in 2 minutes 10 seconds.

Second time round, I was hoping you would go a bit faster.

So just as well you did it in 55 seconds.

Well done. That's how you work as a team.

Good team work, cadets.

But teamwork alone won't get the cadets through tomorrow's challenge.

To rescue our Hero Squad casualty, they'll need to cut

the entire roof off a car, using some monster power tools.

Something no 12-year-old's done before

with Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service.

First lesson - getting into a crashed car.

That's just the easy way.

The cadets will be using much bigger and heavier tools than that!

Say hello to my little friend.

This is a spreader.

They've never seen anything like these before,

let alone been allowed to handle them.

Pretty heavy, have a look at that.

When we go to a collision, we might have to hold that

for about 15 or 20 minutes.

That's been 15 or 20 seconds, how does that feel?!

This is going to be embarrassing.

-Use your muscles!

-Ohhh!

At almost 20 kilograms, this one piece of kit

weighs the same as a heavy suitcase.

Lighter, but just as lethal - the saw.

To get the roof off in tomorrow's rescue,

the cadets will need to use it to cut right across the windscreen.

Mentor Mark is looking for absolute concentration.

He needs cadets who can handle dangerous tools under pressure.

Looks like Andy's getting the hang of it!

That feels so cool!

There's just one more monster piece of kit to master,

vital for getting the roof off.

It's the hydraulic cutters.

They can slice through just about anything - and I mean anything.

What's that white thing there?

It's an Xbox. I love games consoles.

Andy may love games consoles,

but he may not like what we're about to do to one.

12-year-old Andy and his mate Ben are into gaming in a big way.

And Andy made a big sacrifice to join Hero Squad.

The thing I'll miss the most will probably be my games console.

I play on it about two hours after school.

Well, actually, it's more than that. Basically from morning to night.

Look away, Andy. This could be uncomfortable viewing!

No!

This is a nightmare.

The jagged blades have just over 42 tonnes' cutting force.

That's a lot of power.

This is torture.

Not the sort of thing you should ever test at home -

especially not on your mum's car!

Relax, Andy!

This games console was broken beyond repair

before we got our hands on it.

I'm sure you can fix it with a bit of tweaking!

The cadets need to be able to cut through sheet metal,

attacking the steel pillars that support the roof.

The cutters are doing most of the work,

but just holding them up is exhausting.

That's why fire fighters often work in pairs.

Lewis is through!

It was exactly the same smoothness as cutting butter. It was amazing.

Andy's got an even tougher cut to make, at the top of the post,

holding a heavy 13.5kg weight to his shoulder.

I can't see!

Normally, if I was at home,

I wouldn't be allowed

to touch that thing.

Struggling to hold it. Cos it's so heavy, he can't hold it up, I think.

It's taking all Andy's strength, even with the help of a firefighter.

But in a real rescue,

a casualty's life could depend on getting that roof off.

-Come on.

-Keep going, Andy!

He's done it!

Today, my favourite thing was cutting the car.

It was cool, it was like, "Jjjhhh".

I'd like to be the person who takes the doors off

and does all the sawing,

cos that's so much fun.

It's been amazing so far.

Hopefully, it'll get better and better.

They might think it's cool now,

but tomorrow, the cadets will have to use the power tools

under pressure to get the Hero Squad casualty out.

And one cadet will have to take on the tough role of staying

with our casualty, no matter what's going on around them.

So it's into the classroom,

to learn about one of the most crucial roles in a fire crew.

The trauma technician.

You've got 30% protection. If you hold them like that, it's 100%.

The trauma tech's job is to keep the casualty as still as possible.

Any movement could make their injuries worse,

causing lasting spinal damage.

One of the key roles of the trauma tech is to stay with

the casualty and keep them reassured, and then

when the paramedics arrive, pass on as much information as you've got.

OK, keep your eyes on me, please, keep your eyes on me.

The casualty's completely in their care.

So it's vital to keep them calm,

and explain what's going on at all times.

It can be stressful,

so we've set up a test to see how well the cadets cope.

Our cadets are in the classroom having some training.

What they don't know is, they're going to be brought out one by one

to see our Hero Squad casualty Anwar.

Anwar is going to be pretending to be in a lot of pain.

And this is going to be a real test for our cadets to see how well they

communicate with him and establish what exactly has gone wrong.

They have no idea what's coming next.

This is going to be a real test of their mettle.

Lewis. Through that door is a situation I want you to deal with.

Go through the door and deal with that situation. Off you go.

I'm so confused.

Move away! Move back!

One by one, the cadets discover the casualty.

Mark's going to be watching, to see how they react.

Move away! Move back!

Even though it's a set up, it's still scary.

I'm here to help you.

Mark's watching closely on our monitor.

He's looking for a cadet who works well under pressure,

and can lead the others in a tough challenge tomorrow.

Can you see me? Can you open your eyes?

Yeah, I can see you.

"Can you open your eyes?"

Come down to his level, as well, which is good.

Just try not to move your neck.

Much better from Andy. Good.

Andy's listened in training,

and remembered the casualty must keep their neck still.

Mark's impressed. But not everyone's quite so unflappable.

Please don't touch me.

OK, exercise over, Lewis join me.

Lewis, what happened? What's the matter?

I was expecting like a simulation,

a crash.

It was so dark! If I was him,

I'd be really scared in a car crash.

You're allowed to be scared, too. That's natural to feel that way.

Move back, move back!

But a firefighter can't show they're scared.

Next in, 12-year-old Luci from County Armagh.

Luci is used to looking out for others,

especially little sister Grace!

I'm very caring because I like helping people.

And she reckons she's got what it takes

to help a complete stranger, too.

You'd have to talk to the person and make them feel comfortable

and see if they're all right with everything that you're going

to be doing.

I think I would cope quite well.

Let's see if she's right.

It's OK, it's OK. Calm down, I'm here to help, it's OK.

"Calm down" - brilliant, reassuring, calm.

-Something's not right.

-What's wrong?

-My back.

Right it's OK, it's fine, just calm down.

Luci's clearly scared, but she's trying to hide it,

so she can calm the casualty.

So, what were you doing?

I was trying to calm him down and ask what's wrong,

but he was obviously very panicky and worried.

But you managed to keep your cool, Luci, so well done.

It's the end of training.

The cadets have proved they can work as a team...

..used power tools to smash glass and cut through metal...

..and faced a traumatic test of nerves.

Tomorrow, the cadets

will have to deal with a tough Hero Squad emergency.

They'll need a strong leader who can take charge of a dangerous rescue.

Mark's got a difficult decision on his hands.

Andy was good this morning.

Yeah, he was, and he was calm and patient.

No one instructed him to do that.

Another good one was Luci today.

Very good in the situation with the casualty.

Luci's got a great personality.

You could see how she was talking to the casualty.

They'd immediately trust her

cos she's just got that very affable way about her.

But there can be only one squad leader.

Good effort today.

Some really good work from all of you, in fact.

A lot of information you've had to take in, so well done.

I'm really impressed with all of you,

how quickly you took on all of the tasks,

you weren't phased by anything. Very good, all of you, so well done.

The person we think should be given this and lead the others tomorrow

is going to be...

It's going to be you, Andy.

APPLAUSE

When I do well, I feel proud of myself.

Being squad leader feels like I have

got a really important tough job,

because I am really handling everyone.

Andy's got a lot to think about.

What's coming next could be the hardest challenge

the Hero Squad have ever had to face.

It's early the next day.

The cadets are on duty at Eccles Fire Station in

Greater Manchester, alongside real firefighters from White Watch.

A few miles away,

our Hero Squad casualty is running late.

Not only is he breaking the speed limit...

..he's illegally using his mobile phone behind the wheel.

Unknown to him, a woman's broken down on the road ahead of him.

Our Hero Squad casualty is distracted.

By the time he sees the other car...

..it's too late.

Hello, there's been a car accident.

Within seconds, details are coming through from the 999 control room.

The cadets must get kitted up into protective fire suits,

gloves and helmets.

They're going to be working with dangerous cutting tools,

so they need all the protection they can get.

Our Hero Squad casualty has injured his neck and back

so badly he can't move.

He's relying on the cadets to get him out.

There's no time to waste.

Guys, right, listen to me. Get all your equipment

and lay it on that mat over there, yeah?

Andy's given each cadet a different job to do.

And mentor Mark will be watching to see who performs the best,

as he chooses a Hero of the Day.

Hello, can you hear me?

Luci is the Trauma Technician.

Her role is to stay with the Hero Squad casualty, keeping him

calm during the rescue.

We're going to get you out soon, OK?

His injuries mean he can't move,

so the others will have to cut the roof off to get him out.

Guys, stability in place.

Strong instruction from Andy.

He's really taking charge.

It's Katy's job to make sure

the car doesn't move during the rescue,

so she's pushing in blocks around the wheels.

It's OK, just keep your head still.

Luci's sitting behind the casualty to support his neck.

And she's keeping him calm by talking to him.

She's remembered her training,

and is doing everything a real trauma tech would do.

OK, the teams are now thinking about protecting the casualty.

Getting the shields in place to protect him from any glass,

debris that could come in, because they now have to start

getting him out of that car.

OK, phase three, start the cutting now.

It's time to get serious.

The cadets will have to work as a team

if they're going to pull off a swift rescue.

It's OK, just keep calm,

we're just putting a plastic sheet over our heads to protect us.

Before the casualty can be cut free,

he needs protection from flying glass and metal.

So does Luci.

It's OK, everything's going to be fine.

So they're prepping the vehicle before they can start.

Then once the doors are off, we'll start to cut the roof.

It's OK, keep calm, everything will be fine.

They're just trying to get the doors off.

With the help of Mark's team, the doors are coming off.

Now you can start the cutting. You've got to start with those holes,

cos we've got to get the roof off, OK?

-Are you all clear on what you're doing?

-Yep.

The cadets are about to attempt something

no 12-year-old's done before.

Cut the entire roof off a car.

Keira and Lewis will be doing the cutting. And it won't be easy.

The cutters weigh 13.5 kg.

Remember how heavy Andy found them in training?

This time, they've got added time pressure.

The casualty's relying on them to get him out fast.

LUCI: It's OK, calm down. It's OK, I'm with you. It's OK.

I'm still here. Everything's going to be fine.

What Luci's doing is incredibly brave -

sitting just centimetres away from the lethal cutters!

And it's about to get a whole lot scarier.

Katy, you need to get a dust mask.

Alex, it's going to be cutting through, yeah?

It's Alex's job to use the saw to cut across the windscreen.

LUCI: We're just going to cut the roof straight off.

It's OK.

He's only ever practiced on metal before.

But sawing glass is more tricky.

It creates dust that's dangerous to inhale,

so it's more important than ever to protect that casualty.

LUCI: It's OK, keep calm. It's OK, I'm still here.

Katy's helping him by using a hose to wash away the glass dust.

At the same time, Lewis is attacking the main frame of the car,

using the cutters to slice the steel pillars.

That's not easy, it's a difficult angle and everything.

Luci and her casualty are now surrounded

by dangerous cutting equipment.

Alex needs to keep that saw steady.

So this is the last cut,

so once that's done, the roof can come off.

They've done it.

Now Mark's team can take the roof away.

It's fine, that was just the post, it's OK.

But it's not over yet.

They're just taking the sheet off, it's OK.

Just taking the sheet off.

The Hero Squad casualty's been trapped for a long time,

and he's in terrible pain.

We're going to go in and get the spine board down there, yeah?

51 minutes after the 999 call, and the cadets

are now ready to get the casualty out of the car.

It's time for them to use the spine board,

but it's not a simple task.

The Hero Squad casualty's in pain,

but the cadets just have to carry on.

The quicker they get him out,

the quicker he can get to hospital.

HE GROANS

Luci's doing everything she can to reassure him.

It's OK, keep calm, it's fine.

And she's staying with him right to the last push.

It's fine. Keep going. It's OK.

With the help of Mark's team,

they get him out and into the waiting ambulance.

It was a bit scary when I was with the casualty,

because he was very panicky

and he kept screaming.

I just told him to calm down and that it was OK.

It was really fun being squad leader today.

I had fun and the whole team listened to me.

OK, guys, good effort. We did what we came here to do.

Well done, guys.

I would like to be a fireman.

You get to work with power tools and cut up cars,

and go in fires, but at the same time, you're saving people's lives.

The Hero Squad have pulled off an incredible rescue,

transforming themselves from cadets into fire fighters.

Now, all that's left

is for mentor Mark to choose a Hero of the Day.

Right, now we've got Hero of the Day. Tough one.

They're all heroes to me. Luci's immense.

She had a plastic sheet over her, did not stop talking to him.

Even when they got to the ambulance, she was reassuring him.

Fantastic performance.

Andy had a tough role as squad leader,

but I think he did quite well.

Yeah, he did, he grew into it. He got better and better at it.

I was really pleased with that.

But one cadet's impressed Mark more than the others,

winning a treat as Hero of the Day.

I'm just really impressed. When I imagined this, I thought,

there's no way you'll be able to do this, it's just not possible.

But you were absolutely brilliant, I was really impressed. Very good.

So, the person we've decided should be Hero of the Day

is the person who's listened to everything they've been told

for the last two days, and did a brilliant job.

So the person who's going to be Hero of the Day...

Well done, it's you, Luci.

APPLAUSE

Well done, Luci.

-You should be proud of yourself.

-Thank you.

As trauma tech, Luci was stuck right in the middle of a dangerous

rescue. She kept her own nerves under control, calming the casualty

down - even when the cutters came scarily close. Well done, Luci!

A brave Hero.

Coming up on Hero Squad... the cadets face

one of their toughest challenges yet. Will they be able

to rescue two stranded kayakers out at sea?

Find out next time.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd