Gloucester is an unlikely player in the world of international disaster relief.

Yet on occasion this small city in the south west of England has been the first to sound the alarm following an earthquake thousands of miles away.

Gloucester is home to Rapid UK, one of a handful of search and rescue teams on permanent stand-by to help with natural disasters around the world.

Its network of contacts with seismology centres means it is among the first to hear of major earthquakes.

Rescuers must be trained to work in rubble

Such is the damage to communication lines, the ensuing offer of help from Rapid UK can be the first a foreign government hears of widespread death and destruction on its soil.

"We have had instances where we call and say 'Do you need help with your earthquake?' and they say 'What earthquake?'," says the agency's Christine McPhee.

It is this sort of lightning response that meant Rapid UK was among the first to respond following last week's earthquake disaster in Turkey.

Within 24 hours of news of the disaster, an 11-man team had been despatched to lend their life-saving skills to the rescue effort.

It is the third major call on Rapid UK volunteers in less than 12 months, the others being the Colombian earthquake in January, which killed more than 9,000, and Hurricane Mitch which tore through central America last October.

Construction sites make an ideal training ground

Rapid - the name stands for Rescue and Preparedness in Disasters - was formed in 1996 as an off-shoot of the International Rescue Corps.

The aim was to provide local people in disaster hotspots with basic training in search and rescue techniques, as well as highly trained front-line support in disasters such as the Izmit quake.

"Because of the sometimes long gaps between missions, we felt there was a chance to do background work to prepare people locally for disasters," says Mrs McPhee.

"The result is like the old Civil Defence Force - small groups of people, trained in basic rescue techniques, using basic equipment."

The organisation has 25 members, 15 of whom are operational - ready to fly anywhere on the globe at the drop of a hat.

"It takes somebody who wants to help their fellow man."

Rescuers encounter harrowing scenes by the day

Some, such as paramedics, builders and engineers, contribute professional skills. But, says Mrs McPhee, all must be trained to a common standard, which usually takes between 18 months and two years.

A building site is ideal territory for recreating post-earthquake conditions, although insurance liability can cause complications with construction companies.

Volunteers, who may have to deal with the effects of earthquakes, floods, tidal waves, landslides and volcanic eruptions, must get to grips with hi-tech equipment such as thermal imaging cameras and sound detection equipment.

Sniffer dogs are also vital to the operation. Rapid has four border collies, although only two were despatched to Turkey, as the other two had just been released from quarantine having returned from Colombia.

Holiday time

One of the dogs detected a trapped survivor in the aftermath of Izmit, says Mrs McPhee.

Because of the urgent nature of their business, volunteers must be able to travel at a moment's notice.

"Employers tend to be very understanding," says Mrs McPhee. Nevertheless, many volunteers give up their annual leave to fly into a disaster zone and face the horror of death, shock and anguish.

But you "cannot train anyone for 35,000 dead" and volunteers are inclined to shut-off the harrowing scenes and concentrate on the job in hand.

Family concern

Back at home, Mrs McPhee helps co-ordinate rescue efforts and keep families of volunteers informed about developments.

As chief fundraiser, it also falls to her to generate money to pay for the expensive electronic equipment used in search and rescue. As a young charity, it has struggled to enlist corporate sponsors and relies heavily on individual donors up and down the UK.