On track to respond
18/07/2011
A landmark agreement between North Wales
Police, North Wales Police Authority and a relatively new volunteer
emergency service - 4x4 Response Wales has been signed.
4x4 Response Wales is a volunteer
organisation, with charity status, that provides support to the
emergency services and local authorities to reach vulnerable people
in difficult locations.
The Welsh organisation forms part of the
national UK 4x4 Network, in which
members agree to respond in the event of
severe weather, flooding, or other emergency situations, where the
use of 4x4 vehicles are needed to get people, equipment and
supplies to locations.
During the recent bad winters, where heavy
snow and ice posed problems 4x4 Response Wales assisted by
transporting essential medical staff to hospital when the staff
were unable to make their own way to work.
In signing a Memorandum of Understanding,
North Wales Police has become the first force in Wales to place the
working relationship with 4x4 Response Wales on a firmer
footing.
It must be stressed, 4x4 Response Wales are
not there to replace existing emergency service vehicles, but
rather to compliment them in times of high demand or where
resources have become stretched.
4x4 Response Wales also work closely with
other volunteer organisations such as Red Cross, and they sit
within the volunteer section of the Local Resilience Forum, a
cornerstone of the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 which places
obligations on Authorities and other Responders to plan for
emergencies.
In times of emergency North Wales Police will
also coordinate the deployment of 4x4Response Wales if they need to
assist the other emergency services or responders.
Sgt Craig Jones of North Wales Police
Operational Planning Dept commented: "4x4RW have demonstrated that
they are an organised group of 4x4 enthusiasts who come together to
carry out some great work for the community. They've also
attended an emergency exercise and showed they are professional and
capable in their approach to assisting the emergency services".
Andrew Hughes, Chairman of the Board of
Trustees who signed the Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of
4x4RW said: “4x4 Response Wales has grown to a valuable resource
throughout Wales in a very short time thanks to the dedication and
hard work of our volunteer team. We are pleased to have entered
into a formal agreement with North Wales Police that will enable us
to quickly respond to any need for support in the future.”
Assistant Chief Constable Gareth Pritchard
added: "North Wales Police work closely with many volunteer
agencies and greatly appreciates their work.”
“I am very pleased to forge this close
association with 4x4 Response Wales. The public spirited work
their members have carried out in the past has been invaluable to
the communities of North Wales at times when the emergency services
have been stretched. I'm confident we can build on this good
work for the future."
Nia Evans, Vice Chair of North Wales Police
Authority said: "Given the commitment of these volunteers in the
past to turn out and assist us in the most challenging of
conditions, they certainly deserved some formal recognition for
their efforts. This agreement should hopefully offer that and
confirm the value that we place on the relationship we have with
them.”
Note
In the winter of 2010/11 4x4RW covered over
12000 miles in responding to 240 tasks and provided 630 hours of
support to the authorities in Wales.