BHC on Standby

[mark avo]

Called out by BLEVEC due to a suspected unexploded device in Luton.
Callout amended to standby shortly after.

Stood down 1 hr later, device was 'only' a smoke grenade...

[Patrick Molloy]

I'm curious to know why you'd be called out in this situation?

[Tony Ferrari]

Patrick

In Bedfordshire, volunteers are regarded as "multi purpose" and may not be called upon to do their primary role.

In this scenario 4x4 Response would almost certainly be asked to provide transport for an evacuation but might equally be asked to do traffic marshalling at a reception centre(s). Or indeed if voluntary manpower were really short, serving tea at the reception centre :D.

It is usually the case that a County Council will be responsible for the emergency transport plan. In Hertfordshire for instance, school transport contractors would be called on to provide coaches or social care minibuses would be used rather than 4x4s for an evacuation. However as there is no longer a County Council in Bedfordshire (it is three separate unitaries) this is harder to achieve and why the LRF relies more on volunteers.

[Patrick Molloy]

I see, thanks for the explanation, quite interesting.

[PeteRestall]

We have been called out for these type of incidents before, and during the bad weather we had the situation where the local authority were providing the transport to get people to a reception centre after a major power outage, but because of the snow etc. they weren't able to access anything other than major roads, we were then tasked with transporting the elderly etc. from there homes to the awaiting transport.

[BobWessex]

We have certainly been called on several occasions for UXBs (or actually UXC - UneXploded concrete) in general we will be called on any occasion that a rest centre is seen as being likely.

There is an awful lot of equipment that is needed in a rest centre or evacuation centre (not quite the same thing). Within Avon & Somerset & Wiltshire we are seen quite clearly as a logistics resource leaving alone the fact that we as a group have better command and control facilities than the council, access to several trailers, generators and gazebos/ marquees puts us in the position of being almost first call as a very flexible resource from the Civil Contingencies Unit's point of view.

[mark avo]

It's a matter of getting 'In the loop' . Most of the time we may just be an extra set of hands but it gets the name around & ensures that everyone knows who we are.

If we refused to turn out for the mundane stuff we would soon be either forgotten or pushed to the back of the list.........

Much like Bob said above really

[Patrick Molloy]

Thats sounds perfectly logical. I'm amazed though that I haven't heard of this before. I suppose that like the vast majority of people, I simply accepted that there were emergemcy services for these kinds of operations and never thought about what happens in reality. This is extremely illuminatiing. Thanks very much for all your comments.

[BobWessex]

I suppose that like the vast majority of people, I simply accepted that there were emergemcy services for these kinds of operations and never thought about what happens in reality. This is extremely illuminatiing. It is actually quite interesting to see the reaction of the public at Blue light days & similar when they see just how many voluntary agencies are involved in any emergency.

Any major emergency locally is likely to involve amongst others,

ourselves - Transport, provision of various equipment /Communications (in the absence of RAYNET)

Freewheelers - Transport of small items/dispatch riding/etc

RAYNET - Communications

Red Cross / St John - First Aid,

Red Cross/ WRVS - Registration & recording of evacuees/survivors

WRVS/ Salvation Army - Catering.

Samaritans/Faith Community/Salvation Army - Counselling of evacuees and possibly volunteers depending on the nature of the incident.

Lions & Rotary - Additional Human resources (Man power)

The council Civil Contingencies Unit, may be "managing" the incident but it will be the voluntary agencies doing the work.

One of the things that all groups need to do is ensure that as part of the initial induction training of members it is explained to our guys how we fit into both local and national emergency plans. If any opportunities arise to take part in Joint agency exercises, even if only as victims, I would strongly recommend that you grab them. Once our members understand how we fit into the jigsaw of emergency planning then the easier it is for them to explain to work colleagues drinking mates, family members etc.

The truth of the matter is that Joe Public thinks that there is "Somebody" out there to deal with any given emergency; there is it's the "Emergency Voluntary Agencies Group" (insert your local name)

[Tony Ferrari]

What Bob said :D

Also within the Hertfordshire Voluntary Emergency Committee (HEVEC) we have:

CRUSE (Bereavement Counselling)

Hertfordshire Community Foundation (Provides grants for community recovery)

Victim Support (A incident is often the result of a criminal act)

and

Hertfordshire Councils for Voluntary Service (CVS) who provide volunteer training, recruitment and coordination.

And Bob's UXC story reminds me of an incident that occurred here at the PCT a UXF...

A parcel arrived that was heavy for it's size, had greasy marks on the packaging and had an "odd" smell. All things that are regarded as indicators of a "suspicious package".








It turned to be Unexploded Fudge!

[BobWessex]

Almond flavour?

[andy riches]

Almond flavour?

very interesting thread to hear what others get called out for, almond flavouring is one of the smell tests we do at work to test sense of smell for exactly that reason !

[Tony Ferrari]

One of the things I have been thinking of for the main website, aimed at user groups (or more acurately potential user groups) is an index of the type of things we have been called out for.

So I've started it here http://www.4x4response.info/showthread.php?p=15653#post15653

[BobWessex]

very interesting thread to hear what others get called out for, almond flavouring is one of the smell tests we do at work to test sense of smell for exactly that reason !

Yeap in a couple of jobs I've had in the past we've needed to be 'careful' with anything coming through the post