Texas Fire World
July 11, 2005
Louis N. Molino, Sr.

London Fire Brigade Commissioner Ken Knight attributes the preparedness level that his department showed in the wake of the deadly bombings on July 7 to training received at the Texas Engineering Extension Service's Disaster City facility in College Station. Disaster City has trained 178 search and rescue specialists from the fire brigade since June 2003. In all, 652 specialists from throughout the United Kingdom have under gone training at the facility. Disaster City is a 52-acre facility that was created to provide "the full array of skills and techniques needed by urban search and rescue professionals." It features full-size collapsible structures that replicate urban buildings, including a strip mall, an office building, an industrial complex, a theater and a single-family home and also includes a train derailment and three rubble piles.

Hundreds of London based and area rescuers responded July 7 after bombs went off at three locations in London's underground rail system and aboard a double-decker bus. At the time of this reports writing at least 49 people died in the attacks, although the death toll was expected to rise as reports of persons still trapped in the Tube System as it is known continue to be reported in the world media. At this time it is safe to report that as many as 700 were injured in the explosions and at least 50 of those suffered "serious injuries".