PCC helps to fund new search and rescue van

Volunteers from Wiltshire Search and Rescue have been able to buy and equip a new incident support vehicle thanks to PCC Angus Macpherson and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN).

The vehicle - which will act as the vital control room during searches for vulnerable and missing people - now needs a name and the team is asking the public to help.

SSEN awarded £10,000 from its resilient communities fund towards the new vehicle and Wiltshire Community Foundation donated a further £3,000 made up of money from the PCC's grant fund and the High Sheriff of Wiltshire's endowment fund.

Angus said: "Wiltshire Search and Rescue volunteers are invaluable to Wiltshire Police, and to the residents of this county, so I am delighted to have supported them with this financial contribution.

"The Wiltshire Search and Rescue team has been called upon numerous times to bolster the efforts of our own officers when vulnerable and missing people need them the most.

"We are grateful for their dedication and expertise, especially when they are often mobilising at short notice.

"The members are all volunteers and I would like to thank each and every one of them for giving up their time to help others."

Gareth Shields, Community Investment Manager for SSEN, said: "Despite receiving many very good applications, our panel recognised the vital work that Wiltshire Search and Rescue does and decided to make an award.

"We are pleased to be able to support the team and organisations like them through our Resilient Communities Fund."

Adrian Edwards, chair of Wiltshire Search and Rescue, said: "This incident support unit vehicle will transform our search capability and allow us to work smarter and be more efficient.

"At the moment we have one van that we keep all our equipment in so there is hardly room to turn around in it.

"Having a second van will allow us to use it as an operations centre and also for team welfare. It will make so much difference and we are very grateful to everyone who has helped us to purchase it. Thank you for your ongoing support of our team and our work."

The vehicle needs a name and the public are invited to submit their suggestions via Facebook (@wilsarteam), Twitter (@WiltshireSAR) or email to [email protected] before 30 October 2018.

The winning name will be chosen by a panel made up of representatives from Wiltshire Search and Rescue, PCC Angus, Dorset and Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service and South Western Ambulance, Service and will be displayed on the vehicle.

Wiltshire Search and Rescue team members are professionally trained volunteers. The team is called out by Wiltshire Police to search for missing and vulnerable people such as people with dementia or people in mental health crisis.

In 2018 the team has been called out more than 50 times, being directly responsible for saving lives. The team's new incident support unit vehicle will be based at Wiltshire Police HQ in Devizes, ready to be deployed, along with the volunteers 24 hours a day seven days a week.

Wiltshire Search and Rescue is a charity, relying solely on fundraising for running costs and major purchases such as this vehicle.

The team receives no statutory or government income and all donations of money or equipment are gratefully received.