Supporting our Island Community
WightSAR
Isle of Wight Search and Rescue (WightSAR) is a team of trained volunteers who make themselves available 24 hrs a day, 365 days a year to support Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary and other agencies in searches for high risk, vulnerable missing persons on the Isle of Wight.
Search and Rescue
We are able to offer considerable resources to support the Island's emergency services.
WightSAR currently comprises of over 30 operational volunteers.
Each operational member holds a Lowland Rescue Licensed Search Technician qualification which consists of multiple skills (First Aid, Basic Navigation, Radio Communications, Search Techniques and Forensic Preservation), meaning any member of the team can fulfil a particular role. Each team is led by a qualified Team Leader.
Other roles within the team include Licensed Search Planner, Licensed Search Operations and Licensed Search Manager alongside non operational support roles
We also have three comprehensively equipped vehicles; an Incident Control Vehicle, an Incident Support Vehicle and a Search 4 x 4.
Assistance
Lost Children and Vulnerable Adults
All members of WightSAR are DBS checked and have training to deal with lost children and vulnerable adults, ensuring they are kept safe and reunited with their parents or guardian as soon as possible to reduce the upset and trauma of being separated. WightSAR have much experience in this area including the use of safety wristbands and strategic search planning to locate a missing child or vulnerable adult.
Marshalling, Communications and Safety
Working with the selected First Aid team for the event, WightSAR provide, Marshalling, Communications and other safety related cover for public events. Extensive experience of event organisation, radio communications, puts WightSAR in an ideal position to ensure that the various agencies involved work together as efficiently as possible.
Extreme weather and Major Incident Response Support
WightSAR are members of the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Resilience Forum and can offer support and operational assets for extreme weather events and major incidents to the Isle of Wight Council and the Isle of Wight NHS Trust.
