SPECIALIST search-and-rescue firefighters have been given a grant of more than £50,000.

The Government's Fire Minister, Parmjit Dhanda, yesterday announced an additional £3.2 million grant to England's fire and rescue authorities.

The grant has been divided amongst all of the authorities throughout the country, with Essex receiving £54,375.

The money is largely to provide training for mass decontamination response units, as well as additional protective clothing to be worn during work on collapsed buildings.

The New Dimension equipment is held by 46 Urban Search and Rescue teams around the country, including one at Lexden, but can be easily transported in special modules - reminiscent of Thunderbirds - to wherever they are needed.

The teams all use the same equipment, so they can provide extra manpower at a scene without needing to bring their own equipment.

The resources include mass decontamination units, detection, identification and monitoring of unknown, potentially dangerous chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear substances, rescue equipment for use in collapsed buildings, and high volume pumps for use in floods.

ECFRS Assistant Chief Officer Gordon Hunter said: "We are pleased to receive this funding which will allow us to continue to train and maintain our Urban Search and Rescue Team.

"The team play a very important role not only here in Essex, but nationally as well as they can be deployed anywhere in the country where their specialised skills are needed."

Mr Dhanda said: "The New Dimension special equipment is vital to resilience and these latest grants to fire and rescue authorities show that the Government remains committed to fund them to crew, host and accommodate this equipment.

"Training is obviously vital to make best use of this equipment."