an idea i have

[rolling thunder]

as the title says this has been an idea of mine for some time now . i have set up a network i call it the 4x4 emergency support network. now there are a couple of thease in the country but i want this one to be the biggest and best. the idea is simple we register our vehicles with the local emergency planning office and police then when there is a local emergency or disaster flood whatever it may be we can be called upon to assist.i have this set up in my area and i am looking for more members so that we can move forward and set it up in more counties. there are two types of membership active call out and support member so you dont have to be hands on you can just support the rest of us if you like . anyway check it out and make your own mind up i hope to see a few of you there soon.
http://s14.invisionfree.com/4x4emergencysupport/index.php?act=idx


mick

[TimM]

http://s14.invisionfree.com/4x4emergencysupport/index.php?act=idx  

[rolling thunder]

thank for that

[TimM]

Looks like a good idea.... in principal.

BUT...

It would appear that everyone (or anyone) would have access to the information, if you were registering yourself with an emergency service then that would seem OK. Unless I'm reading this wrong, it would seem like you are giving out your details to anyon who things they may need you (i.e. it's open to abuse   ).

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong  

[rolling thunder]

we register with the local emergency planning office  they then call upon us when needed . we dont just go out to anyone . and then we work under the guidance of the emergency services at the insident.

[TimM]

I'm probably just being paranoid....

Maybe all would be clear if I read it properly  :oops:

I know you wouldn't go to just anyone, but what I was thinking is that if your contact details are there, then everyone/anyone might try to contact you.

Probably a question to ask you (that might shut me up!) is: are your contact details readily available from the forum?

If it's a - "NO they are only available to the emergency services" then I'm being paranoid for no reason  

[rolling thunder]

no only email is on the forum members can access  a part of the forum to leave there contact details for outher members thats all.

[TimM]

no only email is on the forum

That's OK then, I was visualising being nicely asleep at night and getting a phone call from a 'nobody' who had picked up details from the forum.

I now revert back to:

Looks like a good idea

 

[rolling thunder]

thank tim it all takes time this new stuff worth it in the end i hope

[laser_jock99]

A bit like this group:

BUCKS & OXON 4X4 RESCUE Steve Witham, 11 lowmon Way, Aylesbury, Bucks HP21 9JW Email: disco4x4@ntlworld.com website: www.borg-4x4.org
 

Link doesn't seem to work though.

[rolling thunder]

yep same idea

[Dave]

I had asked about this some time ago but the fire sevice said that they have all the kit for coping with any type emergency. The have there own 4x4,been thought all the training and have insurance for such things. I could obtain insurance at my own cost and training like wise.
 I thought help drag car out of lanes, ditches move fallen trees ect ect.
The fire crews have all the info on individual cars such as SRS systems witch can be very danger's if not deployed. Even the burnt paint can be poisons. As for trees they have qualified tree surgeons.

 Its good what you are doing i am not trying to put you off in anyway. To many people not willing to help these day. It's just the heath and safety won't let us sometimes.

[Wanderer]

I have done a lot of work with the Emergency Planning Office over the years.

The idea is that any group has initial points of contact.
The EPO rings them and this initiates a call out list.
Then the members might meet at a central location and be despatched as needed.

Organisations like the
Police
Fire
Ambulance
Red Cross
St John Ambulance
Raynet (Radio comms)
WRVS
Salvation Army

etc
all are involved and in many counties train and exercise together.

I can envisage 4x4 being used to provide emergency help with getting paramedics, midwives, even meals for wheels etc to emergencies when there's flood or snow conditions.

[rolling thunder]

the way i see our role in this is minor they may let us do a few tasks i was called upon the outher day to drag seven cars from a flood . i dont mind what we do just so long as we are involved. let,s face it 4x4,s get bad press all the time if i can use them to help it has to be good. and there is the fact that i have nothing better to do

[Wanderer]

In response to Dave's comment.

All of the main emergency services will say that they have everything covered but any EPO will tell you that they haven't and can't.

When there is a major emergency there's a lot of back up needed. Not only to do the work that they would normally be doing but to also assist the other volunteer services.

Picture a scenario.

Immingham a few years (about 20  actually) had an big explosion.

Residents get evacuated.
Normally they'll be put up in places like leisure centres.
In this case maybe a few miles away.
There's floods or snow.

How do they move the residents?

Any EPO will be looking at worst case scenario and I'd have thought be more than grateful to have lists of 4x4 owners that can be contacted via a central point.

Just getting on the radio and asking for volunteers isn't a deal of good. You'll get any tom Dick and Harry.

At least that way they would have an idea of skills and vehicle and more than likely have vetted members for their suitability.

[Frankie-Boy]

Admirable,

I'd join if we had a local section, unfortunately I wouldn't have time to help set it up.

[V8MoneyPit]

As said, there are already various groups like this around the country. Would it not make sense to contact each of them and 'join forces'? There are 2 in this region already, Rover Rescue and 4x4 Response. Maybe others. It seems silly to me, to duplicate what already exists. They will already have the lists registered with the authorities, training is already in place, etc.

As long as the existing organisations are professional in their approach, there should be no issues with co-ordinating with them.

All excellent stuff, so I'm not for one moment suggesting it's a bad idea. But it just seems to me it would be quicker to set up if existing resourses were tapped into.

[rolling thunder]

the problem is most of the groups set up now only cater for there area i want to cater for all areas if i can . we will see what happens.

[Wanderer]

When dealing with the EPO it is done on a County basis although there may be a national body involved everything is involved on a County basis.

It may even be adopted in one county but not in the adjacent county.

It takes something like a Lockerbie for it to drag people across the country. Usually it's dealt with (for obvious reasons) by the county and their neighbours.

[rolling thunder]

this is the way i see it working out a co-ordinator in every county reporting back to the central hub. it wil take a fair ammount of time i know as it has taken me six months to get my county sorted.

[Wanderer]

Have you done it with full support of the CEPO (Chief Emergency Planning Officer) in the county or have you made contact with the various services?

Getting recognised by your CEPO would be a great step forward as it's him/her that will say who gets used and how they incorporate into the plan. There can also be funding benefits and training days.

Most CEPO also supply you with meeting facilities should you need them.

[rolling thunder]

yes its all done with the chief cpo i spent weeks at her office getting to know the team and how things work.

[TUFFTEE]

rolling thunder seems to have most of the angles covered! well done!

[Wanderer]

Yes he's got through the main barrier. CEPO support opens lots of the other doors that are difficult to open.

It'll be very interesting to see where this project goes. I'd thought about it a few years ago but having already been heavily involved with other organisations in the past I considered I couldn't devote the time.
I gave up my position due to ill health.

So come on guys and girls it would be nice to see other people getting involved in other counties.

It can be rewarding and look at the publicity angle of it.
4x4 owners ready at the drop of a hat to assist in times of emergencies.
It would be a different view point from that of hooligans, ozone and lane trashers that we get tarred as.

[rolling thunder]

gentlemen i thank you all for your comments on this . as any new project
it will only go as far as it,s members take it and that is what we are looking for right now. i have done a lot of work on this for example the extra public liability insurance is in place for members i also have a deal in place now for a company to supply uniforms.


fully printed hi-viz boiler suits on the way as well not yellow as it,s done to much


we have a bank account set up for members to pay in there sub,s all fully transparent any member can ask to look at the accounts at any time.

all i can hope for is that it will work i will give every effort to make it so.

thank you
mick