FIREFIGHTERS are being taught specialist search and rescue techniques in preparation for a terrorist bombing, York's new fire chief revealed.

A new decontamination vehicle is to be permanently based at a fire station in the city from next month in order to deal with possible chemical attacks.

Steve Cluderay, North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service's newly-appointed area director, with responsibility for York, Selby and Tadcaster, said the measures were designed to make firefighters better prepared in the future.

"We're learning new specialist skills so that we can help to rescue people more effectively after a terrorist-type incident," he said.

"Investing in new equipment will enable us to deal with something that we previously couldn't imagine."

Station officer Cecil Pugh is training North Yorkshire firefighters decontamination techniques for use in the event of a chemical or biological attack.

He says an "incident response" vehicle will be permanently based in York, which contains decontamination equipment such as collapsible showers.

Mr Pugh was also recently sent to the Disaster City training facility in Texas to learn search and rescue techniques in mock-ups of buildings in various states of collapse.

He will now pass on his experiences to other firefighters and teach them to use specialist equipment such as thermal imaging cameras and listening devices.

"Obviously in North Yorkshire there are a number of places certain people might see as a target," he said.

"We're far better prepared now than we were at the time of the World Trade Center attack. It was a wake-up call for everybody."

Mr Pugh said the training was part of the Government's national New Dimension Program, a major commitment to invest in anti-terrorist measures.

"This will deliver a better capability so that all firefighters will be able to adopt these techniques in the future," he said.

It is hoped every firefighter in the county will be fully trained within the next 12 months.

Updated: 10:45 Friday, November 21, 2003