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About Hertfordshire 4x4 ResponseHertfordshire 4x4 Response Group was set up in 2007 to aid the Emergency Services and Local Authorities in the event of severe weather, flood or any other emergency where four wheel drive vehicles are required for the response.The group is composed entirely of volunteers and receives no government or local authority funding other than reimbursement of mileage. It operates through the use of experienced 4x4 owners with their capable and well equipped vehicles, who volunteer their services free of charge.
The original idea came when founder Tony Ferrari was responsible for Emergency Planning as part of his duties at a District Council in Hertfordshire. On Thursday 30 th January 2003, the South and East of England was hit by severe snow which brought a large part of the country to a standstill an event that came to be known as "White Thursday".
In later discussions at the Local Emergency Planning Forum, it was clear that had the event lasted any longer than 24 hours any emergency planning response would have been severely hampered by the fact that neither Emergency Services or Local Authorities had access to any significant numbers of 4x4 vehicles or trained drivers. In fact it appeared that in his District and possibly the whole County, Tony was the only Emergency Planner able to move around on account of his owning a Land Rover Freelander and his several years of 4x4 experience of driving in difficult conditions.
The picture above, is Tony's Freelander on a
public road on the evening of White Thursday!
At the forum meeting the idea was raised that a register of 4x4 owners in the County who would be willing to volunteer in such circumstances, be formed. However due to other work pressures it never came about and Tony moved to another job. In 2007, then working full time as an Emergency Planning Officer in Essex he realised it was 4x4 owners themselves who needed to get the group running.
He also discovered a few similar groups were in existence around the Country through the National 4x4 Response Network that had been formed in 2006, this provided the support and information needed to get the Hertfordshire Group up and running.
Hertfordshire 4x4 Response is recognised by the Civil Contingencies Secretariat of the Cabinet Office, Hertfordshire Resilience, the Local Resilience Forum for Hertfordshire, The Regional Resilience Team at the Government Office for the East and by the East of England Ambulance Service.
Since its conception in 2007, Hertfordshire 4x4 Response has gone on to succesfully play a role in assisting vital services during times of need. A great example of this is the Meals on Wheels service operated by Welwyn Hatfield Council. The service would be unable to operate at times of adverse weather if it wasn't for the assistance provided by the responders on behalf of Hertfordshire 4x4 Response.
Find out more about Hertfordshire 4x4 Response and the Welwyn Hatfield meals on wheels service |
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