Lancaster Area Search and Rescue
UK Registered Charity No: 1177231
Lancaster needs a search and rescue team.
In recent years much of the UK has suffered from the impact of flooding at an enormous emotional and social cost. Year after year multiple flood warning to the UK, specifically the North West are administered. Between 2006-2014 Cockermouth and Keswick were affected by widespread flooding, and during the winter months of 2015 and 2016 the devastation caused by Storm Desmond affected huge parts of Lancashire, Cumbria and York. Since 2016, year on year we now see regular flood events in our local area.
In addition to floods, with more accidental drownings, more missing people, a global pandemic and more emergencies for the statutory emergency services to deal with, the need for a ‘ready to respond’ Search and Rescue Team in the Lancaster area has never been greater. That’s exactly why Lancaster needs a Search and Rescue Team.
“Coastal flooding has the potential to have the most widespread impact in a single event.”
The Cabinet Office National Risk Register of Civil Emergencies 2013 identifies the greatest threat to public safety, after pandemic disease, as major coastal or inland flooding, and states: “Coastal flooding has the potential to have the most widespread impact in a single event.”
Reduced funding from Government means that there are unlikely to be any increases in resources provided by the Fire Service. The Armed Forces are neither trained nor equipped for the flood environment.
That's where SLSGB Flood Rescue Teams come in:
Surf Life Saving GB Emergency Flood Response teams have high standard, specialised training that allows our teams to operate effectively within flood environments. As an SLSGB Flood Response Team, our role is to respond to flood incidents and give assistance to the emergency services, by providing trained personnel, boats, vehicles and other equipment with the primary objective of preserving life.
The flood environment is one of the most dynamic and dangerous theatres of operations for the emergency services which is why we train year round to ensure our crews are always ready to respond, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
As a response team, we’re here to support the wider search & rescue network, working alongside Lancashire Constabulary, Lancashire Fire & Rescue, North West Ambulance Service, HM Coastguard and Mountain Rescue to provide a professional and well equipped Search & Rescue unit, capable of responding to a range of water and land based incidents such as; medical emergencies, inland water emergencies, missing person searches and of course, extreme weather events.
