the M3 & A34). As part of the programme of sharing resources (and thereby reducing costs) agreed between the two forces in late 2010, Hampshire's Roads Policing Unit commenced joint operations with Thames Valley Police's RPU in January 2012. The combined unit is overseen by the Joint Operations Unit. Dog Support Unit (DSU) Hampshire Constabulary acquired its first two dogs in 1959. The force now has a variety of dogs in use across the two counties, working 24-hours a day. The unit, based at the support headquarters at Netley, near Southampton. Dogs are trained in a variety of skills including passive drug searching, searches for firearms, explosives, ammunition, and currency. The dogs are also trained to locate people in a variety of situations. For example, they are able to find people who are trapped in collapsed buildings. Armed response vehicles and Tactical Firearms Support Units Hampshire's firearms units provides suitably trained and equipped officers to respond to incidents involving the criminal use of firearms through its armed response vehicles (ARV) and tactical teams. The force has many ARVs (With both Police liveried and unmarked variants - a marked ARV is distinguishable from other police vehicles as it has big and bright coloured asterisk [*] stickers that are displayed on all four corners of the vehicle) and they usually contain two or three police officers that are specially trained authorised firearms officers (AFO). Many tactical options are available to the ARVs as they contain (either upon the AFOs or inside the ARV itself) shields, advanced lifesaving equipment and their firearms which include pistols, carbines incendiary devices and less than lethal options such as Tasers, baton and baton gun. The units have a permanent staff of instructors, administrators and the Force Armourer, who is responsible for the safe storage, maintenance and record keeping for each of the force's firearms. Marine Unit The Marine Unit provides a specialist resource to the force and a policing presence along the of navigable coastline of the two counties. In addition, the unit is responsible for the investigation of marine incidents and supporting the work of the UK Border Agency, HM Coastguard and the harbour authorities. The unit comprises a sergeant and six constables and has two tactical rigid inflatables, one semi-displacement patrol launch and various land-based patrol vehicles. The ribs and launches are: Police Launch Commander, a catamaran Police RIB Protector, a tactical RIB Police RIB