Rubble Rescue Hero Squad

These wannabe heroes are working together

to perform daring rescues.

Over the toughest terrain...

..experiencing the highs...

..and the lows.

There's a new emergency crew in town.

I'm Rav Wilding and this is Hero Squad.

Six ordinary schoolkids.

Their mission?

To learn how to save lives.

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

Last time, the cadets were transformed

into Ski Patrollers.

They rescued an injured skier who was stranded on the slopes.

Help!

Josh made a strong start as their first squad leader.

-RADIO:

-Received, over.

And Myles skied to glory as the Hero Of The Day.

LAUGHTER

This time, the cadets must break their way through concrete,

to a Hero Squad casualty trapped underground.

OK, I'm down!

Let's hope they're not scared of the dark.

This is the Fire Service College in Gloucestershire.

Firefighters come here

from all over the UK - and the world - to train.

But the cadets won't be putting out fires.

The only clue the cadets have had so far are these torches,

which they had inside their Hero Squad rucksacks

when they signed up.

A torch - which means we're going to be going into the dark.

Probably need these in a cave.

Which is great news(!)

Good guesswork, cadets.

A torch will be a key part of your training.

Let me out!

But first, you'd better rescue your mentor...

-Help!

-What...?

-Help me! I'm trapped, help me!

Help!

-What's happening?!

-What's going on?

-Can you hear us?

-Yes - please help me, I'm trapped!

Open it up then, Myles.

Oh, my...

Can you hear us?

I can. Thank you very much.

Morning. My name's John McKie.

I'm going to be your mentor today,

and I'm going to teach you to be an urban search and rescue team.

John McKie is in charge of Urban Search and Rescue Training,

also known as USAR - a specialist branch of the fire service,

rescuing people from collapsed buildings

and confined spaces.

If somebody isn't pulling their weight,

if somebody isn't doing what they should be doing,

then they need telling.

John's rescued people all over the world.

Three years ago, he was on the British USAR team

finding survivors of the Haiti earthquake,

which destroyed 105,000 homes.

You want to be a USAR team, yeah?

I'm going to make you into a USAR team.

First lesson - confined spaces.

The cadets will have to crawl their way

through a simulation of a collapsed building...

..the kind of frightening conditions faced by USAR teams.

You get to take something in with you which will help...

Oh! Glow sticks!

LAUGHTER

Not so bad now, is it?

..which will help your team members.

-Happy?

-Yeah.

First in, Lily and Josh.

OK. Let's go - this way.

They must find a safe route through the dark

for the others to follow.

There's your entrance.

And they're being scrutinised,

as John chooses a Squad Leader for tomorrow's Hero Squad rescue.

Oh, my...

Dark, cramped, and full of sharp objects.

It's Lily's worst nightmare.

Are you all right, Lily?

How am I going to get through there?

I feel quite scared.

I don't really mind small spaces, and I don't mind the dark...

..but when they're together, I don't like them very much.

As the first team in,

Lily and Josh must leave a trail for the others -

a safe route through.

They'll need all the glow sticks John gave them.

-Lily?

-Yeah?

-My two sticks have fell out my pocket.

-Really?

-Yes.

-Are you actually being serious?

I'll go find them.

Without those lights,

the others won't know which way to go.

-One!

-Oh, yes!

-Drop one at that entrance.

-Two! Got it got it.

-Oh, nice!

Good work, Lily.

Glow sticks found, they can finish the job.

-Thank you, Lily.

-Brilliant. Well done, Lily.

Yeah - well done.

Lily's made it through, working with Josh to lay a trail

for Kyra and Myles to follow.

Is there anything there, can you see anything?

-There's a glow stick.

-OK.

-Who's going first?

-Me.

-Yeah?

Finally, it's Sam and Maria.

-Oh, wow.

-There's a green light, Maria.

I'm going to help you through.

The glow sticks show the way forward.

They also reveal a frightening number of obstacles.

Right, be really careful, because you don't want to fall off.

-Oh, wow. It's tiny!

-I'm going to help you through.

Sam's leading a nervous Maria,

perhaps an attempt to show off his leadership qualities.

12-year-old cadet Sam is an all-round action man.

MUSIC: "James Bond Theme"

Back home in Somerset,

he loves sailing, life-saving and Scouts.

HE PLAYS "JAMES BOND THEME"

And he's used to taking charge.

I think I'd make a good squad leader,

because I'm a good team worker,

and the only worrying thing would be if you did something wrong,

and then everyone would be quite annoyed with you.

Right, I think we've found the end.

Confined spaces - done!

Next, the rescue tools...

..and something John's never allowed children to do before -

breaking and breaching.

Or as you might call it, smashing up and getting in!

OK, team - what do we think?

-Cool.

-It's amazing.

-Pretty good, yeah?

The cadets will need these tools tomorrow,

to cut a hole through concrete big enough

to get a Hero Squad casualty out.

Go on then, Sam. Feel the weight of it.

The breaker weighs 34kg...

Just try and move it a little bit, Sam.

..like lifting a large dog!

Good lad! Yeah!

Sam will be relieved to know

John has some smaller electric drills and chisels

that will do just the job.

But they still weigh up to 6kg each -

heavy enough for our cadets.

It's like carrying ten bags of shopping

and having to move around in them.

It's quite exciting.

The power tools are very vibrate-y!

Now for some kit that may not look like much,

but without it, tomorrow's rescue could fall apart.

The piece of equipment we're going to use this afternoon

is a seismic and acoustic listening device.

A what?!

This is the device you're going to use.

It picks up sound,

so obviously, if there's somebody trapped underground,

you can't see them, but we need to know where they are.

You need to try and focus on what sort of noises people would make

when they're trapped.

John sends Lily off to make some noise,

while the others listen.

So what we'll do is put the sensors on.

TAPPING SOUND

This clever device picks up shouts, screams and tapping -

the kind of sounds a person who's trapped might make.

Or in this case, Lily and her hammer!

I think it might be three, cos that seems to be the loudest.

Can Maria, Sam and Kyra work out

which sensor is picking up Lily's tapping the clearest?

The trick is to focus and ignore any distractions.

On a real rescue site, there could be all kinds of noises.

And then do just two.

-It's not coming from there, because it's very faint.

-Now go on.

By isolating each one, and moving them nearer the sound,

they can home in on their casualty.

And then four...

-Fainter.

-Fainter - one is...

-Try one again.

-That's loudest.

-That's loud.

Well done, cadets! You've found Lily on sensor one.

In a rescue, that could be key information

in the search for the casualty.

The cadets' training is almost over.

But their mentor has one more challenge to give them.

Oh Lily, sorry - did we interrupt you lunchtime?

LAUGHTER

Have you got some for the rest of us?

I hope Lily's got a strong stomach!

John wants the cadets to experience

the kind of challenging heights USAR teams face

when they have to drop down onto a rescue site.

You're going to head up the drill tower,

then what we're going to do is, one by one,

we're going to lower you out.

-OK, happy?

-Yeah!

This lot might be up for it, but not everyone's so confident.

I'm not feeling too good, cos I don't really like heights.

Back home in London,

12-year-old Kyra prefers to keep her feet on the ground.

You guys, please go a little bit higher!

Thank you!

I think when I feel nervous about heights,

it gives me butterflies in my tummy,

and, like, I always push myself to do the things,

but it always gives me...

I'm quite scared first time through when I do it.

You need to move, you need to move.

Are you OK, Kyra?

The training tower is around 12m high.

The cadets must drop from the second floor,

trusting the rope to hold their weight.

I'm not opening my eyes.

We have to go over a window ledge, just so you know.

Let's go, chaps!

Josh is first to volunteer.

Well done, Josh. Whoo!

-Yeah?

-That is so cool!

Next, it's Sam...

..confident as ever!

Go on, Sam! There's nothing to be scared of.

Then Maria and Myles...

Wedgie!

..who's in a bit of tight spot with his harness!

Argh, wedgie! Argh!

Look at that!

LAUGHTER

That's a serious wedgie!

Argh, wedgie, wedgie, wedgie!

Argh, wedgie!

Well done, Myles!

Stand up - there you go.

Kyra's decided to go last after Lily.

But all the waiting's making it worse.

You can do it, Kyra.

All the cadets are willing her on.

-Nice and relaxed, OK?

-Come on, Kyra.

Kyra doesn't have to do this, but she's determined to give it go.

You can do it, Kyra.

Kyra, that's it. Slowly.

-Well done, Kyra.

-Well done, Kyra.

You've done the hardest bit now, Kyra.

SHOUTS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Well done!

Six cadets up, six cadets back down!

Best bit of today was probably seeing Kyra come down there.

because I never thought in a billion years that she'd do it,

and then she proved me wrong.

-Absolutely, Kyra. Well done!

-Well done!

It's the end of training.

The cadets have been tested

in the highest and tightest of spaces...

..smashed their way through concrete...

..and learned to listen for signs of life.

But who's proved they can lead the other cadets

in a tough Hero Squad rescue?

John and I have a tough decision to make.

Some cadets have stood out more than the others,

but only one can be squad leader.

The first of those cadets is Lily.

You did very well.

Lily held her nerve, despite being scared of the dark.

The second one is Kyra.

Kyra demonstrated real courage

and conquered her crippling fear of heights.

Now the third cadet we thought has done extremely well today -

Sam, it's you.

Sam took the lead, helping Maria in confined spaces training.

So the person that John and myself

thinks should be squad leader for tomorrow's rescue is...

..Sam.

APPLAUSE

I really enjoyed today

and I was really hoping I'd be squad leader.

I think this is a rescue suited to me

because I really enjoyed all of it,

and I'm not scared of small spaces or the dark,

and I'm not scared of heights.

After an exhausting day of training, the transformation from cadets

to an urban search and rescue team is almost complete.

You don't have to be in extreme locations

to be part of the Hero Squad.

Head to the CBBC games page now to find out more.

8 o'clock in the morning at a local demolition site.

Two teenagers have broken in. It's foolish and risky.

The rubble could collapse at any time.

Oi! Get off there!

The building site foreman is trying to warn them.

But one of the intruders gives him the slip.

Come back, come on! It's dangerous.

The tunnels have been weakened by the demolition work.

The site foreman's putting his life at risk

trying to warn off the naughty trespassers.

As the intruder runs off,

the Hero Squad casualty is trapped alone in the dark,

under the rubble of a dangerous building site.

Working as an urban search and rescue team,

the cadets must find the Hero Squad casualty

and get him out.

They don't know it,

but they're heading for a treacherous rescue site,

a dangerous pile of rubble, only safely accessible from above,

and a Hero Squad casualty hidden somewhere below.

Help me!

This is the only way out.

Kyra, are you sure you're all right with it?

-I want to see how high it is.

-Huh?

-Want to see how high it is.

Don't worry, don't worry, it's fine.

They'll be dropping almost 8m -

the average height of a two storey house.

Squad leader Sam sends Myles ahead to organise the rescue equipment.

Right, guys, there's a ledge, just to give you a warning.

OK, that's great. Well done, Myles, well done.

-OK, who's next?

-Me.

-Kyra - excellent.

But there's no time for Kyra to get scared.

That's good - exactly the same as yesterday.

Here she comes. She's so brave.

-Oh...

-That's it, Kyra, you're doing great.

That's it. I've done it, Kyra - if I can do it, you can do it

and you're doing very well.

You've almost done it, Kyra. Amazing work.

-Well done, Kyra.

-Well done, Kyra.

Kyra, that was absolutely brilliant. Well done. How was it?

Better than yesterday, but still scary.

-OK, away you go.

-The others aren't far behind.

Throughout the rescue,

mentor John will be keeping a close eye on everyone

as he looks for a Hero Of The Day.

And joining the cadets - Alfie, the rescue dog!

He's trained to pick up the scent of live casualties.

-Good boy, Alf.

-Aw!

-Doggie handbag!

Drill's coming down now.

Squad Leader Sam's stayed behind

to organise the heavy rescue equipment.

But time is ticking.

Myles, you need to start the dog searching

-so we can get it done quicker.

-OK.

It's a good call.

The casualty's been missing for almost an hour.

Leave the chisel there, Josh...

Alfie's used to working on dangerous rescue sites.

But the cadets are struggling to move on the treacherous rubble.

Put that down somewhere and help me get this one across.

I'm just getting this here.

And tempers are rising.

No - we need the drill to see if we can see anything first.

Then we get the listening equipment.

-That and that.

-That's the drill and that's the saw.

DOG BARKS

Alfie's trying to tell them something.

We've found it -

the person's scent's coming from over here.

But the only cadet who's listening is Lily.

Josh, put that down somewhere and help me get this one across.

The dog's found the scent of the casualty

Alfie's detected the casualty, trapped below ground.

It's a good place to start breaking through.

-They're not even listening.

-You guys! Josh!

But the cadets are nowhere near ready.

Instead, they're wasting time arguing.

-We need the drills.

-Stop arguing!

We've got the drill, it's coming.

Sam, you're in charge, so can you tell us what we're doing?

Just listen to me...

No-one's listening, and Sam's losing control.

You're squad leader, so you should know.

Mentor John is forced to step in.

Just wait.

There's far too many people giving it that.

Sam's in charge. Sam is the man you need to listen to.

-Start getting the chisel thing ready.

-OK.

-Well done, Sam.

-Well done, Sam.

Good leadership, Sam. The rescue's back on track.

Josh and Kyra start breaking and breaching,

while Lily sets up the listening device.

Lily's listening to two different sensors on the rubble

to try and pick up sounds made by the casualty.

I can hear echoes.

She needs absolute silence.

QUIET! Stop!

That means you too, Josh!

No-one move.

We need complete quiet.

-What?

-Shh!

The cadets know the casualty's alive,

because Alfie found his scent.

But they still don't know his exact position.

That's where the listening device comes in.

Everyone stay quiet.

The pressure's on Lily.

TAPPING SOUND

Someone's banging.

The cadets think they've heard something.

If you can hear me, hit something.

TAPPING SOUND.

Picking up on sensor one.

Yep, definitely number one. Carry on drilling!

The casualty's been stuck for three hours,

but thanks to Lily, they now know his position.

They just need to get to him.

We need to be faster, guys.

There's not a moment to lose.

Maria, Kyra and Sam will go underground

to rescue the casualty.

OK, I'm down.

They have no idea what they will find in the dark.

And the rubble could collapse at any time.

Forward or right? I say right.

Fearless Maria takes the lead...

..while Lily keeps listening from above.

We can hear them.

There's a bit of curve, guys.

They've been sent in the direction Lily heard the casualty.

But there seems to be some confusion.

There's a concrete block, that's all it is, Maria.

It's a concrete block.

The dark, echoing tunnels are playing tricks on their senses.

They should be listening to the overground team,

who have a sound lock on where the casualty is.

There's someone scraping,

but we think they've gone the wrong way.

Wait, Lily - you think who's gone the wrong way?

They have. They've gone away from the sensor.

I cannot see a thing...

The underground team are making a big mistake.

Sam! Can you return to the entry point?

Why do you want us to return?

Because Lily thinks you've gone the wrong way.

Oh, ignore them! They're just...we're here...

Maria's refusing to listen. And so is Sam.

We're going the right way.

The squad leader says we're carrying on.

It's a bad call.

The casualty's back in the direction they came from.

They should have listened to their team-mates.

Shout help if you can hear us.

-Help me!

-This way.

At least now, they've realised their mistake.

I've got them, I can pick them up. I can hear their echoes.

Well done, Lily.

-Help me, please.

-That way, guys.

Help me, I can see your light.

We can hear him loud and clear!

OK, we're going to get you out.

-OK - Kyra?

-Pass it and chuck it down here.

-They're moving rubble out the way.

-Are they?

-Wow.

-Are you injured?

-No.

-I can hear everything!

-Really loud, are they?

The cadets have pulled off a difficult search and rescue.

They've found the Hero Squad casualty.

But it wasn't easy.

Successful rescue...in the end!

I feel sort of happy that we've completed the rescue,

but I feel a little bit disappointed with myself

because I think I could have done a better job as a leader

and made my point a bit more.

I think there might have been one or two arguments on the team,

because...well, sometimes people disagree,

because that's just a part of life.

Well done, Sam.

I feel really proud that I actually located the casualty

and then we got him to safety, so I'm really happy.

The Hero Squad have transformed themselves from cadets

into an urban search and rescue team.

But mentor John hasn't liked all he's seen.

We've never had 12 and 13-year-olds here before

working as a USAR team or anything like that,

so they've had an ideal opportunity to show me

that they can work as a team.

It just didn't show today at all.

Sam, you're in charge...

We had one or two who were supposed to be in charge,

and then we had a number of others who wanted to be in charge,

and they need to make sure that who's in charge is in charge

and what they say goes.

Arguments aside, every rescue has its hero -

the cadet who impressed their mentor the most.

It's been a tough decision.

John and myself did see some really good work.

First, Kyra.

Kyra put her own fears aside to reach the rubble.

Amazing work!

Someone else we thought did exceptionally well today was Maria.

Well done.

Maria was the first underground, freeing the casualty.

Someone else we thought did very well - Lily.

And Lily used the listening device to get the rescue back on track.

They're moving rubble out the way!

The person that should be Hero Of The Day is...

..Lily.

I didn't expect to get Hero Of The Day today,

so it came to me as a bit of a surprise.

But then again, I think I kind of deserved it.

For the Hero, a treat - chilling with Alfie...

..while the rest are made to clean up the rubble!

Next time, a Hero Squad casualty is trapped in quicksand.

Will the cadets be able to drive six-tonne all-terrain vehicles

and rescue the casualty before it's too late?

Find out, next time on Hero Squad.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd