4x4 Response Wales is a volunteer force throughout Wales that provides support to the Emergency Planning Officers, The Emergency Services, and other organisations when 4x4 vehicles are needed to get people, equipment, and supplies to locations in times of bad weather, poor access, or other emergency conditions.

4x4RW provides a means of transporting essential people, supplies and equipment to and from locations during severe weather such as snow and floods or where it is necessary to use access routes that a normal vehicle cannot cope with.

Examples of the types of task that 4x4 Response Wales may get asked to carry out include:

• Getting doctors to patients in need of medical care during severe weather
• Delivering necessary medication to patients cut off by snow
• Delivering food to families cut off by snow
• Getting police officers to an accident scene in severe weather
• Getting Home Carers to their remote clients in snow
• Taking District Nurses to their patients in snow
• Providing food and water to drivers and passengers stuck in their vehicles due to snow or Road Traffic Collision
• Providing logistic support to Local Authorities during floods
• Evacuation of residents during flood and other emergency conditions
• Getting essential Doctors and Nurses to Hospitals in snow
• Supporting rescue organisations in severe weather and in arduous terrain
• Providing transport for essential senior Police Officers in snow and floods
• Getting people and equipment close to scene in emergencies such as heath fires

Aim

To develop a reliable and competent volunteer force that can provide logistical support to the Emergency Planning Officer, Emergency Services and other appropriate user services during times of severe weather and other local emergencies

Objectives

To establish a team of volunteer owners of suitable 4x4 vehicles that can be called upon at short notice to provide logistical support throughout Wales.

To provide training and assessment of members to ensure that they are sufficiently competent to provide the necessary support when required.

To regularly evaluate members vehicles and to provide specialist equipment to ensure that tasks can be carried out safely and effectively when called upon.

To maintain regular contact with potential user services to ensure that they are aware of the existence of the group and understand it’s capabilities.

To organise regular events to undertake training and team building activities that will improve the groups capabilities and help team members to work together.

To maintain an awareness of contingency planning activities in Wales and become involved in cross service exercises.