Thank you for your support and interest in the Emergency Response Team - Search and Rescue
ERT Search and Rescue is a United Nations recognised and coordinated Disaster Response Search and Rescue Team with national and international deployment capabilities.
ERT SAR has technical rescue and medical specialist units along with other specialist roles. These include USAR (Urban Search and Rescue for Collapsed Structures), Flood and Water / Swiftwater Rescue teams, Rope and High Angle Rope Rescue capacity and specialist Recon SAR in remote terrain.
Others include logistics, SAR recon (reconnaissance) and assessments, management, coordination and protection mechanisms such as Safety and Security - against natural and human made hazards.
ERT SAR is also a World Health Organisation (WHO) Medical Asset and FMT (FOreign Medical Team.)
BRIEF HISTORY OF ERT SAR
ERT Search and Rescue (ERT SAR) was officially founded on 1st December 2002 in Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire and was Originally named Oxfordshire Search and Rescue (OSAR). By January 2003 the Gary and Virginia made a team logo, donated the team uniforms and also gave OSAR / ERT SAR its first two ambulances / vehicles.
The first official AGM was in February 2003 a Thames Valley Police, Henley Police Station, Oxfordshire and the constitution, regulations, member standards was adopted. (ERTSAR name was adopted in 2006)
GENESIS
ERT SAR was started by Gary and Virginia Foo who were both former Police Officers with Canadian Police Service and saw a need that could be filled by their skills and the a unique ethos that brought like-minded specialists together to help others in times of need or disaster.
The actually 'genesis' of OSAR or ERT SAR was an off-shoot of Gary and Virginia's Philosopher and Warrior Dragon Team and Police Charter days, about 10 years prior in Canada which taught tech wilderness, police, fitness, rescue as well as somewhat risky and outdoor type skills to various specialists in Canada.
It is befitting that some 10 years later, it came full circle with the development of the Canadian ERT SAR team and with some of the same members on that first team, now members of ERT SAR again. The newly formed OSAR (ERT SAR) immediately started growing and training members through a targeted selection of key people and presenting a 'professional' profile whilst maintaining a totally volunteer status.
There are now two fully capable teams, one in the UK and one in Canada with plans to expand in the future. These teams have national and international capacity and are comprised of amazing individuals, members ad leaders who givingly donate their time and efforts for the betterment of others.