4x4 Response
Introduction 4×4 Response Network logo'''4x4 Response''' is a UK based charity whose volunteers offer the use of their 4x4 vehicles to provide logistic support in adverse conditions, working with other Voluntary Organisations and the blue-light emergency services.The Charity was set up to assist or facilitate 4x4 drivers that wanted to form a group in an area where there was no group currently in existence. The charity itself, while largely consisting of volunteers, in itself, is not a response group.
History The emergency services have a history of calling on 4x4 owners in times of need, and volunteers with 4x4s have grouped together in the UK for a number of years.In 1999 4x4 Response was established as a response group in Norfolk, and in 2005 national links were developed into a more formal association, resulting in the formation of the 4x4 Response Network in 2006.In the Autumn of 2008, 4x4 Response became a registered charity (Charity number: 1126138), recognised by the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Operations Although a national organisation, the charity operates through an affiliated network of thirty-two local groups. Each group has its own formalised Memoranda of Understanding with its user agencies, which include Category One and Category Two responders as defined by the Civil Contingencies Act 2004.These organisations include:* Local Authority Emergency Planning Offices* Police* Ambulance Services* St. John Ambulance* Red Cross* Doctors' Associations.Most 4x4 Response groups are members of their Local Resilience Forum (LRF) and are an integral part of local resilience plans along with other voluntary organisations.Groups are typically called out in response to instances of snow or flooding, or where access is required across rough terrain or where a conventional vehicle might otherwise be unsuitable, and typical tasks involve transporting personnel or equipment. Although they may work closely with emergency services, military and other Govt organisations, volunteers have no special status and no vehicular exemptions under the Road Traffic Act.
Local groups As of December 2015 there are thirty-two local groups which cover almost the whole of Great Britain and the Isle of Man. Each group operates independently, but in the event of a major incident additional resources can be drawn from neighbouring groups. In most cases only one group serves a particular geographic area, although there are some exceptions, and to aid identification each group is allocated a two-letter code which forms the prefix for their volunteers' call-signs.The services offered by each group varies according to local circumstances and geography; for example the Highlands of Scotland present different challenges to the fenland areas of Norfolk. Group  Region  Call-Sign Prefix  Areas Served Beds and Cambs 4x4 Response  East of England  BC  Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire Bux & Oxon Response Group (BORG)  South East  BU  Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire Cumbria 4x4 Response   Cumbria  CU  Cumbria Devon & Cornwall 4x4 Response  South West  DC  Devon, Cornwall Derbyshire 4x4 Response  Derbyshire  DE  Derbyshire Essex Rover Rescue  East of England  ES  Essex Gloucestershire & Worcestershire 4x4 Response  South West & West Midlands  GR  Gloucestershire, Worcestershire Herefordshire 4x4 Response  Central  HE  Herefordshire Highland 4x4 Response  Scotland  HI  Scottish Highlands Hampshire & Berkshire 4x4 Response  South East  HR  Hampshire, Berkshire Hertfordshire 4x4 Response  Central  HT  Hertfordshire, North London Leicestershire & Rutland 4x4 Response  East Midlands  LE  Leicestershire, Rutland Lincolnshire 4x4 Response  East Midlands  LN  Lincolnshire Lothian 4x4 Response  Scotland  LR  Edinburgh, Lothian, Clackmananshire, Stirling and the Scottish Borders Manx 4x4 Response  Isle of Man  IM  Isle of Man MROC 4x4 Response  West Midlands  MR  Warwickshire, Coventry & Solihull 4x4 Response North East  North East  NE  Northumberland, County Durham, North Yorkshire (Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland) Northants 4x4 Response  East Midlands  NH  Northamptonshire Northern Ireland 4x4 Response  Northern Ireland  NI  Northern Ireland Nottinghamshire 4x4 Response  East Midlands  NM  Nottinghamshire Norfolk & Suffolk 4x4 Response,     Founding group  East of England  NS  Norfolk, Suffolk North West 4x4 Response  North West  NW  Cheshire, Lancashire, Merseyside, Greater Manchester,  Strathclyde 4x4 Response  Scotland  SC  Argyll and Bute, Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, Dunbartonshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde South East 4x4 Response  South East  SE  Kent Sussex 4x4 Response  South East  SX  East Sussex, West Sussex Surrey 4x4 Response  South East  SY  Surrey and South West London Tayside 4x4 Response  Scotland  TA  Tayside, Dundee City, Perth and Kinross Vectis 4x4 Response  South East  VE  Isle of Wight 4x4 Response Wales  Wales  WA  Wales Wessex 4x4 Response  South West  WE  Somerset, Dorset, Wiltshire, Bristol West Midlands 4x4 Response  West Midlands  WM  West Midlands, Shropshire, Staffordshire Yorkshire 4x4 Response  Yorkshire  YR  North Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, East Riding of YorkshireAs of July 2020.London is covered jointly by the four groups covering the neighbouring areas.In some parts of the country, other organisations which are not part of the 4x4 Response network offer similar services.
Volunteers and vehicles A wide range of vehicles are used by the volunteers, who own and maintain them at their own expense. Typical vehicles include various models of Land Rover, and four-wheel drive vehicles from many other manufacturers including Jeep,  Nissan, Toyota, Škoda, Suzuki and Ford. Although not necessary for the role, some are modified with additional equipment such as Winches or modifications for wading in deeper water, but many are of standard specification.As volunteers are expected to take to the roads in potentially severe conditions they carry additional equipment in their vehicles to keep them and any passengers safe and warm. Many volunteers are also trained in first-aid, advanced driving or water rescue, and each group offers training in the risks most relevant to their operating areas.Volunteers typically receive a contribution towards their fuel costs, but are otherwise unpaid. Volunteers are eligible for emergency services discounts through the Blue Light Card.
See also *Civil defense*Civil Air Support*Lighthouse Authorities*Incident response team
References
External links *  4x4 Response UK