Exmoor Search & Rescue Team is fundraising for a new Incident Control Vehicle, urgently needed to maintain critical operational capabilities. We need to raise £5,000 to meet our fundraising target of £75,000 to cover the purchase and conversion costs of a new vehicle, which we hope to unveil early next year.
What Are We Fundraising For?
Like all Mountain Rescue Teams in England and Wales, Exmoor Search & Rescue Team is a volunteer-run charity. Over the past few years, we’ve been fundraising for a new Incident Control Vehicle which is urgently needed to replace our current vehicle, which is falling into disrepair. Unfortunately, due to increasing running costs of the Team and other critical projects, our fundraising efforts have been hampered. Recently, the Covid-19 pandemic has abruptly interrupted our normal sources of fundraising and forced the Team to reallocate funds to essential equipment, such as PPE and decontamination products, to maintain the Teams operational capabilities.
Picture: our current Incident Control Vehicle (Ex.91)
Our Incident Control Vehicle is a specially converted vehicle from which the Team coordinates our search and rescue deployments; it’s a critical part of the Teams resources and enables us to provide a 24/7 rescue service. For example:
- it’s our mobile base in which we liaise with co-responding emergency services to plan and execute search and rescue operations
- it’s our IT and communications hub ensuring clear delivery and receipt of radio messages, and the computer-aided planning and recording of search strategies
- it’s a primary response vehicle which enables Team Members to travel to deployments in a timely and safe manner, whilst transporting life-saving specialist rescue equipment
- it incorporates welfare facilities for Team Members to utilise during prolonged deployments
How Much Are We Aiming To Raise?
The Team is looking to raise the last £5,000 to meet the total cost of the new vehicle conversion. The Team has successfully raised £70,000 of a £75,000 project, but we need your help to cross the line! We appreciate that £75,000 isn’t a small amount of money, so where does this money go?
No Incident Control Vehicle is possible without a solid base vehicle. After buying a high-quality 4WD base vehicle, the vehicle undergoes a comprehensive specialist conversion including the installation of a search management workstation, state of the art communication and IT equipment, internal and external power solutions, welfare facilities, secure storage for our specialist rescue equipment and a complete exterior make-over including high-visibility livery, emergency lighting and audible warning devices.
So, what does £5,000 look like? It could be:
- the communications mast and exterior antenna which enables secure radio communications and internet connectivity, or;
- the communication and IT technology such as our digital radios, micro-PCs, computer monitors, navigation devices and internet router, or;
- the auxiliary battery system and external generator required to power the vehicle for prolonged deployments, or;
- the emergency service make-over including high-visibility reflective livery, blue lights, siren, and stationary area lighting
Picture: concept drawings for our new Incident Control Vehicle (Ex.91)
Every Penny Counts
As a charity, we receive no Government funding and it costs approximately £25-30,000 a year to keep the Team operational. Vehicles and large projects require additional and specific funding. We appreciate that the ongoing pandemic has caused financial uncertainty for everyone, which is why we’re so grateful for any and all support we receive; every penny really does count. Thank you.
About Exmoor Search & Rescue Team
Exmoor Search & Rescue Team is a voluntary Mountain Rescue Team, accredited to Mountain Rescue England and Wales, providing specialist search and rescue services across large parts of Devon and Somerset. Our volunteer Team Members are on-call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to assist both Devon & Cornwall Police and Avon & Somerset Police in locating lost or missing persons, and alongside South Western Ambulance Service and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, recover the injured or ill from remote locations.
Please visit our Facebook or Instagram pages to find out more about the lifesaving work we undertake. – Thank you.
For more information about supporting the Team and donating to the vehicle appeal, please email: [email protected]