13-01-2024

Click the image to step through the pictures.

Kicking off the new year we received a great presentation from Trevor Vidler of HANTSAR.

There were 22 Shedders and a guest who braved the cold weather to gather in St Margaret Mary church hall in Park Gate. This venue provides parking, a kitchen and large hall with a projector and screen. We used this on a weekly basis in 2023 while we were awaiting the move to our new home within Titchfield Festival Theatre.

The presentation was extremely informative and interesting. Trevor delivered in a very relaxed manner and never once did he put off answering a question. despite constant interruptions, (well we are shedders!). Trevor gave a very comprehensive description of the organisation, its history, the training involved and types of call out etc.

We hadn’t realised the huge commitment and effort needed to become a volunteer. The demands are enormous and we should all be grateful for their volunteer roles – one day we or a relative may require their aid! We were impressed too with the professionalism of the organisation and military style approach to searches.

Despite the seriousness of their work and the extent of the training involved for the search teams, Trevor was able to inject a great sense of humour too. A lovely accomplished speaker!

We were very fortunate to receive the talk from a very busy man who has many hats within the group.

The Volunteers

ALL of the personnel are volunteers from the basic foot searchers on the ground up to those in the administration and senior positions. They are from all walks of life from the age of 18 upwards, whether working or retired. Subject to their working constraints and times when they mark themselves as being unavailable, they may be called out at any time within 24 hours, 365 days of the year. Due to the nature of the service, night time call outs are not uncommon!

Equipment

Their equipment ranges from a basic badged uniform to high tech vehicles, radio, and other communications equipment. Their central control vehicle, a bare van cost about £35k followed by another £25k to kit it out. Each search team needs to be equipped with walkie-talkies, first aid boxes, torches etc. Personal mobile phones are also used as GPS mapping works well on these of course.

Such equipment has taken years to build up from initial ‘make do and mend’ second hand to now more specialised newer vehicles etc. Funding is of the essence here! Our gathering contributed to a bucket collection for their cause.

Training

Training is very comprehensive taking between 4 to 6 months to complete. A certain level of fitness is required as well as the ability to navigate, communicate, give first aid and take command of a team etc! Those with many years of experience and membership go on to more supervisory and specialised roles – all go through the same process. There is great teamwork and comradeship as a result.

In addition, there are specialists who fly drones that need to be CAA approved although trained dog teams come under the auspices of a different organisation.

They also have teams who are trained in rope work, water rescue, medical emergencies, off road vehicle driving etc.

Liaison with Emergency Services

Initial requests for help come from a central controller from the Hampshire Police Force who give the best available description of the missing person, any known health issues, available background, last known time and sighting etc. HANTSAR have now got so much experience of such cases nationwide that they are able in many cases to predict the places and areas to search by knowing the profile of the misper!

There is often cross county liaison with other Lowland Search and Rescue teams near our borders.

Missing Persons (Mispers)

Statistics reveal that there is a high proportion of elderly males with dementia who wander off either on foot, public transport or even cars!

Mispers may range from all ages of course and generally they are vulnerable in some way. We’ve all seen in the media, the news of those missing that unfortunately have a tragic ending. Such finds can be quite harrowing for the search teams who are offered counselling afterwards (one of the best forms however is the team getting together to unwind).

Mostly though, searches are successful but may take many hours to many days to find someone. The level of expertise has become extremely reliable and SAR is an essential albeit voluntary service that aids the police, the health and medical services etc. They claim that mispers in Hampshire are found 100%! Not all found by HANTSAR and not all cases are found alive or within a reasonable period. Sometimes only remains are part of that statistic unfortunately!

HANTSAR

For more detail please see the website HANTSAR and their mentoring body the national Lowland Rescue organisation

Future Safeguarding – The Herbert Protocol

There is a national system that may help with missing vulnerable members of your family (possibly you!) that is known as the Herbert Protocol. Basically, being prepared and completing a form to be kept by relatives that describes the likely to be vulnerable person in detail with their medical needs etc.

Such detail can prove paramount in a search situation as the profiles can very often assist searchers. To download site either follow the link above or download it directly from here.

It always feels good when we can contribute to an organisation such as this and when I received this letter it just made my day.