SPECIALIST ambulance teams specially trained to respond to chemical, biological and radioactive incidents were launched today.
The Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) project will see emergency teams dispatched to major incidents as they occur.
The crews will be trained and equipped to work in hazardous areas, providing treatment to those affected by such events.
Typical incidents which HART will also be dispatched to will include building collapses, serious road accidents, fires and tube trains stuck between stations underground.
The London Ambulance Service project, which aims to allow other ambulance crews to deal with regular emergency calls, is being tested in London before being rolled out across the rest of the country.
The HART unit is presently made up of a command and control vehicle, a reconnaisance and light equipment vehicle and one for equipment only.
Two rapid response cars also make up the team, which will be sent to 999 calls when they are not being used to support HART.
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