# General > Motoring >  Highland 4x4 Response Group

## J 2014

The Highland 4x4 Response Group are looking for more volunteers in the area. If you are interested find us on Facebook or visit www.highland4x4response.co.uk Alternatively drop me a PM for further information.

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## mi16

website no worky

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## J 2014

> website no worky


Website has been taken down for maintenance. Check out the Facebook page or PM me for more details.

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## Warren Dukes

> website no worky


Hi mi16 - I posted this earlier today in another thread, but it's just as relevant here I think. The original thread was started back in 2010 when the group first formed, but it became stagnant and ignored, so I revived it today...

* Highland 4x4 Response group are looking for volunteers from the far north.*Just to bump this old thread back into life again, Highland 4x4 Response group are currently seeking volunteers from the far north area.
I was interested to read some of the early doubting and, sometimes derogatory comments - all of which I have seen before as a founder member of the largest 4x4 Response group in the UK, based down in the south west of England - that group, Wessex 4x4 Response, now has more than 300 members and is in constant demand by the county councils, police forces and NHS when they have weather issues like the flooding in Somerset earlier this year.

I now live in the Highlands, close to Tain and have been appointed Vice Chairman of Highland 4x4 Response and my main role is to help the group to grow along with the raised profile we now have with the Highlands and Islands Local Resilience Partnership. Who are they, you may ask? HILRP are comprised of all of the organisations who would be involved in the case of a public emergency as defined by the Civil Contingencies Act - All the Blue Light services, County Councils, NHS and statutory providers such as electricity, water, telecommunications and public transport companies. All of those groups are backed up by the voluntary sector, well known organisations such as Red Cross, the Womens Institute, RAYNET and others all provide specialist support to the front line responders. The 4x4 response groups are a member of the voluntary sector, and are certainly not a front line responder despite the word 'response' in the title.
The primary aim of 4x4R is to provide logistical support to the front line agencies during times of need, be it caused by adverse weather, civil emergency or other unknown circumstances. We do this by using our own vehicles to transport people and equipment to where they are needed. Typical examples of this would be taking the local District Nurse or Health Visitor out on his or her rounds or, perhaps, picking up a remotely located patient to transport them to a clinic or hospital for non emergency treatment. We have also collected ambulance crews and surgeons from their homes and delivered them to work in poor weather and delivered fresh bottled water supplies to households without running water during flooding incidents. None of these activities could ever be considered to be exciting or thrilling - that's not what 4x4R is about; we are not 'wannabes'. In fact, a significant number of responders would not have joined groups if they perceived anything about the groups to be amateurish. We are, for the most part, 4x4 enthusiasts who realise that we can be of use to the community in time of need.

We have in place, formal, documented agreements with NHS Highland and Police Scotland setting out our roles and responsibilities before, during and after any callouts, our members are all fully vetted by Police Scotland before they are accepted for membership and we are covered by extensive public liability insurance. This year, we are raising our profile within the Mountain Rescue Community, and the H4x4R Chairman and I are attending a seminar at the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland bi-annual gathering at Aviemore in September along with front line responders and other voluntary groups, where we will be receiving training in leadership and emergency management - this will help in-inter organisational understanding of procedures.

Within the group, we are currently redeveloping our website, to give it a fresher, more up to date look and feel, and in the background, a new training and development programme is being designed and developed for introduction towards the end of the year. When it is completed, we aim - subject to raising the funds - to offer training to all members to at least the following standards, for those who do not already have it:
First Aid at Work Certificate
Amateur Radio Foundation Licence
LANTRA off road driving certificate
IAM Advanced driving test
None of the above will be considered compulsory, but will be encouraged. There is at least one group in the UK who will not consider membership without all of these in place.

So, that's who we are and what we are about. Our membership currently stands at 18 and we would welcome enquiries from anyone who would like to help the community in time of need.

You can see our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Highland4x4Response/info and our website (currently being redesigned) at www.highland4x4response.co.uk

Our Postal address is; Highland 4x4 Response, 5 Deer Park Cottages, Evanton, Ross-shire, IV16 9XH
Telephone: 07598 806071
Email: enquiries@highland4x4response.co.uk or vicechairman@highland4x4response.co.uk

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Warren Dukes Vice Chairman - Highland 4x4 Response, Registered Charity SC041948

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## Warren Dukes

Just an update to advise we have updated our website and now have a new web address www.H4x4R.org 
We will be at this years Caithness Show and look forward to seeing you there.

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## Mdroger

> The Highland 4x4 Response Group are looking for more volunteers in the area. If you are interested find us on Facebook or visit www.highland4x4response.co.uk Alternatively drop me a PM for further information.


Has anyone received a response from this group, despite pm's ect no reply !!!! I'm baffled

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## Warren Dukes

I'm sorry to hear you haven't been able to make contact with us, please see the details below.
We have recently changed our website address to www.h4x4r.org. Our enquiries email is now enquiries@h4x4r.org or membership@h4x4r.org. You can also find us on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Highland4x4Response/
If you are looking to contact us, these addresses will be responded to, usually with 24 hours.
Warren Dukes
Chairman
Highland 4x4 Response

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