The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs approves a grant of £27k to ALSAR for flood rescue services

In Spring 2006, Defra undertook a detailed capability assessment of flood emergency planning and preparedness in England and Wales, based on the outputs of the National Capability Survey 2006.   The analysis clearly showed a shortfall in capability to rescue people when compared against the planning assumptions for a severe east coast flood.

The Pitt Review concluded that a national framework (concept of operations) was required, establishing standards for typing and accreditation of rescue teams and setting standards for equipment and training. This would facilitate different local capabilities to be "plugged? seamlessly into a regional or national response during wide area flooding.

This Concept of Operations would also facilitate the accreditation and incorporation of volunteers, thereby making their engagement easier. Sir Michael?s recommendation No.39 stated that:

“The Government should urgently put in place a fully funded national capability for flood rescue, with Fire and Rescue Authorities playing a leading role, underpinned as necessary by a statutory duty.”

The Government has accepted Sir Michael?s recommendation No.39 and has already engaged key statutory and voluntary agencies through the UK Search and Rescue Group.

With the above in mind ALSAR applied for a grant, in order that we could provide the relevant training and equipment in order to declare teams in the relevant team types.

We are delighted to be able to announce that Defra have agreed that our proposals are in keeping with the aims of the project, to enhance flood rescue capability, and our bid has been approved in principle by the board.  A grant for £27,000 has been agreed.

This grant has two main purposes, firstly it allows to purchase  the necessary equipment to carry out national training for Flood Access Module 2 - Water Rescue First Responder.

This module is aimed at selected operational personnel who respond to water incidents and have available to them the correct Personal Protective Equipment. The module introduces water rescue equipment including its safe and effective use and progressively develops the student to be confident in and around water. As well as learning how to read the water, the student will practice wading rescues and self-rescue techniques appropriate to the risk, bank based rescues and shallow water crossings, and unstable surface hazards such as mud and ice. It is designed to allow team to enter slow moving water deliberately to effect rescues, for example held people form their homes to a place of safety

Secondly - A pool of operational equipment will be held by ALSAR, which will allow teams on a priority basis to draw on this equipment during the build up stage prior to deployment.

The main aims of ALSAR in regards to the grant are to:

• Role out 'Water Awareness' to all member units, through the medium of national DVD and Power point presentations, which is mandatory for all ALSAR Search Technicians
• Standardise the syllabus and teaching of best practice nationally for Water Bank Search
• Train unit personnel to the Modulated 2 Standard - Water Rescue First Responder
• Provide a pool of operational equipment that units can draw on.
• Declare teams to the local Fire and Rescue Services through a Memorandum of Understanding.