Members Info

Advice

Your decision to volunteer to become a member of the MROC 4x4 Response Group is appreciated.

Any call out by recognised Emergency Services or other voluntary agencies is often likely to take place during unsociable hours and at some stage in inclement weather conditions hence the requirement for a degree of commitment to the group. However, please always remember that you are a volunteer and nobody expects you to carry out any task for which you feel you or your vehicle are not fully capable. If this is the case then please let the co-ordinator or incident controller know.

Your vehicle must be maintained to a good standard and be road legal at all times. If responding to a call out then please make sure you have enough fuel and know where you can re-fuel if need be, and have the means with which to do so. It is also strongly recommended that before leaving home, you take the time to make a flask of hot drink and prepare a sandwich or similar as you may be away for some time, not forgetting of course to take any equipment with you that may possibly be needed. Time taken to prepare yourself at this point can save precious time and possibly embarrassment later on. We may often be put on ‘standby’ - use this time to prepare for an impending call out.

Members are issued with 2 way radio equipment for use when operational and this is main means of communication between vehicles and Control (our own controller). When at a multi agency incident you may need to take instructions from the incident controller or agency involved (Local Authority or blue light services). High visibility waistcoat or jacket should be worn at all times and vehicle logo signs are available and should also be used. It is important that you are recognisable and identifiable as an MROC 4x4 Response volunteer by other agencies at the scene. Please make yourself known to whichever agency called us.

For many situations it is enough that only one vehicle attends, such as staff transfers or transport of equipment. There may be times when it is prudent to send 2 vehicles to the same location and this decision will be taken by the Controller who will make the decision after discussions with the agency involved. A larger incident may involve more vehicles, but at all times the responder(s) will be made aware. When possible the vehicles closest to an incident will be used. Please ask if you believe that further assistance may be required as advice will always be taken from those on the scene. Too many units are better than too few.

When assigned to a task, you may be asked for an ETA, and on arrival should in any case let the co-ordinator know and keep him/her updated of events or changes. Please be sure to note your start and finish mileage and if possible any definitive in-between mileages, and keep a log of locations and instructions. Let the co-ordinator know if and when an incident can be considered ‘closed’ and your intention to travel home. In extreme weather conditions you must advise the co-ordinator when you arrive home.

The above is a guide but as not every call out is the same then not all points may necessary apply.

AT ALL TIMES

  • Good communication is good practice

  • Always remember that you should act in a professional manner and do not bring the good name of the group into disrepute

and on the matter of safety:

Your safety and that of others is always paramount. Never carry out any action that may endanger your own or others health & safety.

Vehicle Insurance

At one time vehicles being used for voluntary work were only covered by insurance companies if business use was specified, and were not covered by social, domestic & pleasure.

But now, many, if not all, of the larger insurance companies will now cover voluntary work within social, domestic & pleasure, but some of the smaller ones may not.

Volunteers using their own vehicles should inform their insurance company that the vehicle is being used for voluntary work. There may not be an extra premium. Some companies insist that the volunteer will have to change their policy to business cover, but usually if you make it clear that you are not making any profit from volunteering they will cover the voluntary activity under social use.

Please make sure you have adequate cover – this is your responsibility.

Companies that are known to cover ‘response’ at no extra cost are: Adrian Flux, NFU, Sureterm, and Asda.

Recommended Equipment

Minimum

  • Mobile phone, charger and mobile numbers of co-ordinator and all others volunteers

  • What3Words app installed on mobile phone

  • 2-way radio as agreed from time to time by the group plus member user list, charge lead and antenna

  • ID Card

  • Notebook & pencil

  • Hi-viz waterproof clothing (MROC4x4R issue coat, trousers and vest)

  • Tow rope and shackles, various sizes

  • Road atlas and West Midlands A-Z

  • GPS / Satnav

  • First aid kit for personal use

  • Spade or shovel in severe weather

  • Torch (LED is good)

  • Toolkit

  • Food & drink

  • Warm clothes (include spare socks/trousers) and boots (preferably steel toe capped)

  • Gloves (winch if appropriate)

Recommended

  • Blanket (space is also good with first aid kit)

  • Fire extinguisher

  • Container of water

  • Jump Leads

  • Anti –bacterial hand cleaner

  • Rescue 'Throw Bag'

Useful depending upon nature of call

  • Additional recovery equipment, long ropes, strops etc

  • Bow saw

  • Waders

  • Wading pole

  • Relevant OS maps (Landranger 139, 140, 150 & 151)

Citizen Aid

AID FOR MULTIPLE CASUALTIES FROM A SHOOTING, STABBING OR BOMBING INCIDENT

Citizen Aid is one of the Queen Elizabeth Hospitals Birmingham (QEHB) charities.

It is the initiative of four very experienced UK civilian and military clinicians working in collaboration with industry to improve public resilience.

The Citizen Aid programme is designed for the general public to be able to immediately act after casualties have been incurred from a shooting, stabbing or bombing incident and whether one or multiple casualties.

Assistance from the public in the first few minutes and very soon after the point of injury can help save lives in these difficult circumstances when otherwise they may be lost.

Citizen Aid provides the skill for a member of the public to work in a period of time when there won’t be any emergency services on scene. In the time leading up to a co-ordinated response to an incident there are simple skills learnt from battlefield experience that can be applied to an injured person which will help save a life.

In the time taken for Emergency Services to arrive, citizens aid will provide the necessary skills to save some patients.

MROC 4x4 Response are supporting Citizen Aid as an extension of the first aid course.

For more information and videos, please visit the Citizen Aid website.