WightSAR, the Isle of Wight’s volunteer search and rescue team, have welcomed a new vehicle into their fleet this month thanks to a £20,000 grant from Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN).
A specialist 4×4 vehicle has been purchased to transport search team members and equipment to remote areas across the Isle of Wight. The Ford Ranger, which has been liveried in traditional orange and white SAR colours, will also be used for casualty extraction, when necessary.
In times of adverse weather conditions, WightSAR face difficulties in not having a 4×4 should the team need to be deployed to a search – this is the time when the volunteers are most likely to be called, so having a 4×4 available will ensure a 24/7 capability, whatever the weather.
In addition to their day-to-day role, WightSAR are part of the Isle of Wight Emergency Resilience Forum with a momendrum of understanding that allows the team to be deployed by the Isle of Wight Council when there is a concern for human welfare, whatever the situation. Part of this role is to assist the NHS staff and patients in adverse weather and conducting welfare checks on those who live in isolated rural areas.
WightSAR also cover emergency helicopter landing sites across the Island for the Ministry of Defence and the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service. This means that volunteers can be deployed at very short notice to prepare a site ready for aircraft landing.
The 4×4 was only completed earlier this month but within days was being utilised in a search for a missing person from Ryde. The vehicle proved vital in transporting not only WightSAR members to different search locations, but colleagues from HampshireSAR too.
Dean Terrett, Chairman of Isle of Wight Search and Rescue has said:
“We are delighted to receive this generous grant from SSEN, which has allowed us to purchase a 4 x 4 vehicle that will be of great benefit to the Island’s community and will further improve the capabilities of our search team.
Article continues below this advertisement “The addition of this vehicle will allow us to be more efficient, enabling us to access rural locations with our search assets and ultimately this will mean saving more lives.”
Ian Drummond, SSEN’s Head of Region for the South East where WightSAR is based, said:
“The work of WightSAR is much appreciated and well recognised across the region, so it’s wonderful to be able to further boost the essential service its teams provide by using the SSEN Resilient Communities Fund to help them purchase this vehicle.
“The benefits this new vehicle brings to the Isle of Wight’s residents and visitors can’t be underestimated. Our goal through SSEN’s Resilient Communities Fund is to help our customers build their own resilience; this is an excellent example of how the funding can be used and, for SSEN, it’s another way of showing our customers that they really are at the heart of all we do.”
Shame it wasn’t purchased from a Local dealer and Island registered.