4x4 Response

4x4 Response is a UK based charity whose volunteers offer the use of their 4x4 vehicles to provide logistic support in adverse conditions, working with other Voluntary Organisations and the blue-light emergency services.[1]

History

The emergency services have a history of calling on 4x4 owners in times of need, and volunteers with 4x4s have grouped together in the UK for a number of years.

In 1999 4x4 Response was established as a response group in Norfolk, and in 2005 national links were developed into a more formal association, resulting in the formation of the 4x4 Response Network in 2006.

In the Autumn of 2008, 4x4 Response became a registered charity (Charity number: 1126138), recognised by the Department for Communities and Local Government.[2]

Operations

Although a national organisation, the charity operates through an affiliated network of thirty-two local groups. Each group has its own formalised Memoranda of Understanding with its user agencies, which include Category One and Category Two responders as defined by the Civil Contingencies Act 2004. These organisations include:

Most 4x4 Response groups are members of their Local Resilience Forum (LRF) and are an integral part local resilience plans along with other voluntary organisations.

Groups are typically called out in response to instances of snow or flooding, or where access is required across rough terrain or where a conventional vehicle might otherwise be unsuitable, and typical tasks involve transporting personnel or equipment.

Local Groups

As of December 2015 there are thirty-two local groups which cover almost the whole of Great Britain and the Isle of Man. Each group operates independently, but in the event of a major incident additional resources can be drawn from neighbouring groups. In most cases only one group serves a particular geographic area, although there are some exceptions, and to aid identification each group is allocated a two-letter code which forms the prefix for their volunteers' call-signs.

The services offered by each group varies according to local circumstances and geography; for example the Highlands of Scotland present different challenges to the fenland areas of Norfolk.

Group Region Call-Sign Prefix Areas Served
Beds and Cambs 4x4 Response East of England BC Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire
Breckland Rover Rescue East of England BR Norfolk
Bux & Oxon Response Group (BORG) South East BU Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire
Devon & Cornwall 4x4 Response South West DC Devon, Cornwall
Essex Rover Rescue East of England ES Essex
Gloucestershire & Worcestershire 4x4 Response South West & West Midlands GR Gloucestershire, Worcestershire
Herefordshire 4x4 Response Central HE Herefordshire
Highland 4x4 Response Scotland HI Scottish Highlands
Hampshire & Berkshire 4x4 Response South East HR Hampshire, Berkshire
Hertfordshire 4x4 Response Central HT Hertfordshire, North London
Manx 4x4 Response Isle of Man IM Isle of Man
Leicestershire & Rutland 4x4 Response East Midlands LE Leicestershire, Rutland
Lincolnshire 4x4 Response East Midlands LN Lincolnshire
Lothian 4x4 Response Scotland LR Edinburgh, Lothian, Clackmananshire, Stirling and the Scottish Borders
MROC 4x4 Response West Midlands MR Warwickshire, Coventry & Solihull
4x4 Response North East North East NE Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire (Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland)
Northants 4x4 Response East Midlands NH Northamptonshire
Nottinghamshire 4x4 Response East Midlands NM Nottinghamshire
Norfolk & Suffolk 4x4 Response East of England NS Norfolk, Suffolk
North West 4x4 Response North West NW Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Cumbria
Peak 4x4 Response East Midlands PR Derbyshire and the Peak District National Park
Strathclyde 4x4 Response Scotland SC Argyll and Bute, Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde
South East 4x4 Response South East SE Kent
Sussex 4x4 Response South East SX East Sussex, West Sussex
Surrey 4x4 Response South East SY Surrey and South West London
Tayside 4x4 Response Scotland TA Tayside, Dundee City, Perth and Kinross
Vectis 4x4 Response South East VE Isle of Wight
4x4 Response Wales Wales WA Wales
Wessex 4x4 Response South West WE Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Bristol
West Midlands 4x4 Response West Midlands WM West Midlands, Shropshire, Staffordshire
Yorkshire 4x4 Response East Midlands YR North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, East Riding of Yorkshire

As of December 2015 there are no affiliated groups in Northern Ireland, Aberdeenshire, or Fife. London is covered jointly by the four groups covering the neighbouring areas.[3]

In some parts of the country, other organisations which are not part of the 4x4 Response network offer similar services.

Volunteers & Vehicles

A wide range of vehicles are used by the volunteers, who own and maintain them at their own expense. Typical vehicles include various models of Land Rover, and four-wheel drive vehicles from many other manufacturers including Nissan, Toyota, Škoda and Ford. Some are modified with additional equipment such as winches or modifications for wading in deeper water, but many are of standard specification.

As volunteers are expected to take to the roads in potentially severe conditions they carry additional equipment in their vehicles to keep them and any passengers safe and warm. Many volunteers are also trained in first-aid, advanced driving or water rescue, and each group offers training in the risks most relevant to their operating areas.

Volunteers typically receive a contribution towards their fuel costs, but are otherwise unpaid.

References

  1. ↑ Dermody, Nick (14 January 2010). "Wales' 4x4 volunteers called to rescue in big freeze". BBC. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  2. ↑ "The Empowerment Fund: Volunteering and neighbourliness" (PDF). Department for Communities and Local Government. 2010. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
  3. ↑ "4x4 Response Group Register". Retrieved 30 December 2015.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, April 03, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.