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The latest news from the United Kingdoms Resilience and Emergency Response Groups
Latest News
Organisation Spotlight: Search + Detection Dogs
Let’s look at a very specialised area of search dogs, Victim Recovery, sometimes called human remains detection dogs, Cadaver dogs or ‘body dogs’. Several Police forces have in house Human Remains Detection Dogs (HRD Dogs) alongside several Fire Services. In the voluntary Search & Rescue / Recovery sector there’s only a very small number of organisation’s focusing only on this discipline. SEARCH + DETECTION DOGS are one of these few agencies. They are a nationwide organisa
Breeze Group
Apr 30, 20252 min read
Organisation Spotlight: Casualties Union - A Legacy of Realistic Training for Emergency Preparedness
Founded in 1942, Casualties Union is a UK-based charity dedicated to improving emergency preparedness. We do this by providing volunteers to play the roles of casualties, survivors, and bystanders in simulated emergency situations. The addition of live actors into these training scenarios adds a human factor, and means that emergency responders and medical professionals are better prepared to deal with casualties in real-life crises. Our Volunteers The core of our charity i
Breeze Group
Oct 28, 20242 min read
Swaledale Mountain & Cave Rescue Teams Water Rescue Training Day
This October, when the rivers were full of Swaledale rain, we held one of our water CPD events. Swaledale MRT hosted & North of Tyne & Cleveland MRTs brought extra water techs (MOD 3). This gave us a good 25 in water technicians plus team leaders. We’ve recently started looking at a more joined-up approach to our water (and other areas) training. Historically, we used to train each discipline independently, water, rope, medical search etc. However, we’ve concluded that we
Breeze Group
Oct 28, 20242 min read
Search and Rescue
Organisation Spotlight: Search + Detection Dogs
Let’s look at a very specialised area of search dogs, Victim Recovery, sometimes called human remains detection dogs, Cadaver dogs or ‘body dogs’. Several Police forces have in house Human Remains Detection Dogs (HRD Dogs) alongside several Fire Services. In the voluntary Search & Rescue / Recovery sector there’s only a very small number of organisation’s focusing only on this discipline. SEARCH + DETECTION DOGS are one of these few agencies. They are a nationwide organisa
Breeze Group
Apr 30, 20252 min read
Swaledale Mountain & Cave Rescue Teams Water Rescue Training Day
This October, when the rivers were full of Swaledale rain, we held one of our water CPD events. Swaledale MRT hosted & North of Tyne & Cleveland MRTs brought extra water techs (MOD 3). This gave us a good 25 in water technicians plus team leaders. We’ve recently started looking at a more joined-up approach to our water (and other areas) training. Historically, we used to train each discipline independently, water, rope, medical search etc. However, we’ve concluded that we
Breeze Group
Oct 28, 20242 min read
Specialist Search Dogs – Multi Agency Training
Throughout August Bank Holiday, Scottish Charity, Specialist Search Dogs held their annual Multi agency training event. This event consisted of working through a range of different training protocols, exercises and lectures, for multiple emergency services, including themselves. Within their large-scale event, they had guest speakers for theory-based lectures, to support their handling and training, as well as a range of trainers attending for continuous training for their
Breeze Group
Oct 23, 20242 min read
Technical Rescue
Swaledale Mountain & Cave Rescue Teams Water Rescue Training Day
This October, when the rivers were full of Swaledale rain, we held one of our water CPD events. Swaledale MRT hosted & North of Tyne & Cleveland MRTs brought extra water techs (MOD 3). This gave us a good 25 in water technicians plus team leaders. We’ve recently started looking at a more joined-up approach to our water (and other areas) training. Historically, we used to train each discipline independently, water, rope, medical search etc. However, we’ve concluded that we
Breeze Group
Oct 28, 20242 min read
Specialist Search Dogs – Multi Agency Training
Throughout August Bank Holiday, Scottish Charity, Specialist Search Dogs held their annual Multi agency training event. This event consisted of working through a range of different training protocols, exercises and lectures, for multiple emergency services, including themselves. Within their large-scale event, they had guest speakers for theory-based lectures, to support their handling and training, as well as a range of trainers attending for continuous training for their
Breeze Group
Oct 23, 20242 min read
Q&A: Alex Hughes - Retained Firefighter at Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service
Question 1 What made your join as a retained firefighter? Answer There are a few reasons for me. I’m very fortunate to have made good progress in my initial career, and I’ve always believed that once you are secure at an individual level, there is a duty to look for ways to contribute to the world beyond yourself. Although my day job is pretty academic, I’m certainly the kind of person who needs a much more physical outlet. I always feel I’m at my best when things are hap
Breeze Group
Jul 3, 20244 min read
Water Rescue
Swaledale Mountain & Cave Rescue Teams Water Rescue Training Day
This October, when the rivers were full of Swaledale rain, we held one of our water CPD events. Swaledale MRT hosted & North of Tyne & Cleveland MRTs brought extra water techs (MOD 3). This gave us a good 25 in water technicians plus team leaders. We’ve recently started looking at a more joined-up approach to our water (and other areas) training. Historically, we used to train each discipline independently, water, rope, medical search etc. However, we’ve concluded that we
Breeze Group
Oct 28, 20242 min read
Specialist Search Dogs – Multi Agency Training
Throughout August Bank Holiday, Scottish Charity, Specialist Search Dogs held their annual Multi agency training event. This event consisted of working through a range of different training protocols, exercises and lectures, for multiple emergency services, including themselves. Within their large-scale event, they had guest speakers for theory-based lectures, to support their handling and training, as well as a range of trainers attending for continuous training for their
Breeze Group
Oct 23, 20242 min read
Q&A: Adrian Rogulski - Dog Handler & Search Technician at Specialist Search Dogs - Founding Member
Question 1 How did you come about your role within Specialist Search Dogs and what does it entitle? Answer I have always had a passion for search and rescue operations and a deep love for working with dogs. My journey with Specialist Search Dogs began when I realised the critical need for specialized canine units in victim recovery missions. With my background in search and rescue, along with extensive training in dog handling, I co-founded the charity with my friends Colin
Breeze Group
Jun 6, 20245 min read
International Response
Fake Quake
Serve On humanitarian volunteers will this week fly to central Europe to respond to an imagined earthquake in the Balkans as part of a final assessment exercise for would-be search and rescue responders from across the UK. The exercise is the culmination of two years of training for the latest candidates to join the Wiltshire charity’s International Response Team and they have been given the opportunity to show off their skills at the world-class SAR International Training Ce
Breeze Group
Apr 21, 20242 min read
Organisation Spotlight: Serve-On
Serve On is a humanitarian response charity whose highly-skilled volunteers are on stand-by at all times to respond swiftly when natural disasters strike, at home and abroad. Our work constantly transforms lives, including the lives of our volunteers, as we build resilience in people and in communities. Our USAR-trained International Response Team (IRT) members have a proud history - stretching back more than 30 years - of providing emergency help in times of global catastrop
Breeze Group
Mar 25, 20242 min read
Medical
Organisation Spotlight: Casualties Union - A Legacy of Realistic Training for Emergency Preparedness
Founded in 1942, Casualties Union is a UK-based charity dedicated to improving emergency preparedness. We do this by providing volunteers to play the roles of casualties, survivors, and bystanders in simulated emergency situations. The addition of live actors into these training scenarios adds a human factor, and means that emergency responders and medical professionals are better prepared to deal with casualties in real-life crises. Our Volunteers The core of our charity i
Breeze Group
Oct 28, 20242 min read
Organisation Spotlight: Serve-On
Serve On is a humanitarian response charity whose highly-skilled volunteers are on stand-by at all times to respond swiftly when natural disasters strike, at home and abroad. Our work constantly transforms lives, including the lives of our volunteers, as we build resilience in people and in communities. Our USAR-trained International Response Team (IRT) members have a proud history - stretching back more than 30 years - of providing emergency help in times of global catastrop
Breeze Group
Mar 25, 20242 min read
Organisation Spotlight: West Cumbria Search and Rescue
West Cumbria Search and Rescue was established 8 years ago. The team are a specialist search and rescue asset to help blue light agencies and relieve suffering and distress in the local communities. They support the local emergency services by providing a search and rescue service for those in need in Cumbria or other out of area requests if requested. West Cumbria SAR are tasked by agencies and provide specialist water & flood rescue along with search capabilities. The ser
Breeze Group
Feb 24, 20242 min read
Command & Control
Organisation Spotlight: Community Resilience Volunteer Service (CRVS)
Community Resilience Volunteer Service are a group of like-minded individuals who give up their free time to support their local community in times of need. They are equipped to respond to requests for help from the 999 services, local and national government, community councils, along with utility companies and other voluntary agencies. With support from their Ops Vehicle, they can work off-grid providing communications via their UHF Repeater, mobile internet and welfare fac
Breeze Group
Aug 31, 20241 min read
Organisation Spotlight: Serve-On
Serve On is a humanitarian response charity whose highly-skilled volunteers are on stand-by at all times to respond swiftly when natural disasters strike, at home and abroad. Our work constantly transforms lives, including the lives of our volunteers, as we build resilience in people and in communities. Our USAR-trained International Response Team (IRT) members have a proud history - stretching back more than 30 years - of providing emergency help in times of global catastrop
Breeze Group
Mar 25, 20242 min read
Equipment
Rigloo vs Winter Storm
There's a storm coming. But what does that really mean? For me as an autistic adult it just means another today, but for most people it's an event or series of events out with their normal daily coping mechanisms and an exception to the run of the mill events of that day. It has been quite a trying year for me, persecution, abuse, sickening authoritarian pressure like I hope you have never seen or ever will. We wake up and go again regardless because we all hope that today m
Breeze Group
Oct 23, 20243 min read
Technical Rescue Spotlight: Span Anchors
Span Anchors are normally used where a Y-Hang or Multi anchor into a BFK would be too much of an angle if your only anchors were very close to your edge of danger. But your anchors MUST be very unquestionable sound as the forces on them because the angle is over 120 degrees more 160/170 even. Below is a typical Span Anchor set up using two ropes to create four lines across reducing the force on the ropes. You need 3 slings on each anchor ideally, you could use 2 but it then
Breeze Group
Apr 25, 20241 min read
Equipment Spotlight: Water Rescue PPE for Coastguard Rescue Officers
When it comes to water rescues as CROs we have many techniques and various pieces of equipment at our disposal to carry out effective rescues of casualties who are in or around water. First and foremost, we always want to talk to the Casualty who’s in the water. Giving verbal encouragement or instructions to assist themselves, e.g. “swim to me”, “hold onto that”, “reach for the throw line.” Where possible the rescuer stays on safe ground and uses recognised equipment to reach
Breeze Group
Apr 7, 20243 min read
Q&A Sessions
Q&A: James Duczak - Army Reserve with the British Army
Question 1 How did you get into army reserves, and how long have you been involved? Answer After serving in the regular forces for over 12 years but wanting a career change, going into the reserves was a bit of a no-brainer. In many ways, I wanted to still serve my country but also, I wanted a career in Aviation. By joining the reserves, I could do bit of both. At the time of saying this I’ve done around 3 years in the Reserve Army. Question 2 What made you join the reser
Breeze Group
Sep 15, 20243 min read
Q&A: Alex Hughes - Retained Firefighter at Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service
Question 1 What made your join as a retained firefighter? Answer There are a few reasons for me. I’m very fortunate to have made good progress in my initial career, and I’ve always believed that once you are secure at an individual level, there is a duty to look for ways to contribute to the world beyond yourself. Although my day job is pretty academic, I’m certainly the kind of person who needs a much more physical outlet. I always feel I’m at my best when things are hap
Breeze Group
Jul 3, 20244 min read
Q&A: Adrian Rogulski - Dog Handler & Search Technician at Specialist Search Dogs - Founding Member
Question 1 How did you come about your role within Specialist Search Dogs and what does it entitle? Answer I have always had a passion for search and rescue operations and a deep love for working with dogs. My journey with Specialist Search Dogs began when I realised the critical need for specialized canine units in victim recovery missions. With my background in search and rescue, along with extensive training in dog handling, I co-founded the charity with my friends Colin
Breeze Group
Jun 6, 20245 min read
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