Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue
{{Infobox organization
| name = Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue (BLSAR)
| image = 150px
| type = Registered charity
| founded_date = {{Start date|1980}}
| vat_id =
| registration_id = 1202260
| founder =
| location =
| coordinates =
| origins =
| key_people =Chairman: Andrew Panting
Secretary:
Treasurer: Adam Waller
| area_served = Berkshire, England
| product =
| focus =
| method =
| revenue =
| endowment =
| num_volunteers =
| num_employees =
| num_members =
| subsid =
| opponents =
| owner =
| former name =
| homepage = {{URL|http://www.berkshirerescue.org.uk }}
| dissolved =
| footnotes =
}}
Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue (BLSAR) is a registered charitable lowland search and rescue team based in Berkshire, United Kingdom and provides support functions (primarily search and rescue) to Thames Valley Police and the emergency planning departments of various local authorities in Berkshire. In common with most UK SAR teams, BLSAR members are all volunteers.{{cite web|url = http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/ShowCharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithoutPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=1046861&SubsidiaryNumber=0|title = 1046861 - South East Berks Emergency Volunteers|accessdate = 2010-01-13|last = Charity Commission|authorlink = |date=March 2009}}{{cite web|url = http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/useful-links#14|title = Useful links|accessdate = 2010-01-13|last = Thames Valley Police|authorlink = |date = n.d.|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110514130530/http://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/useful-links#14|archive-date = 2011-05-14|url-status = dead}}{{cite web|url = http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/regorgdisplay.htm?orgId=110|title = Organisation Details|accessdate = 2010-01-13|last = Bracknell Forest Council|date = n.d.|url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110608020542/http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/regorgdisplay.htm?orgId=110|archivedate = 2011-06-08}}{{cite web|url = http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/berkshire-major-incident-protocol.pdf|title = Berkshire Major Incident Protocol|accessdate = 2010-01-13|last = Thames Valley Police|date = January 2006|display-authors = etal|url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110608020654/http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/berkshire-major-incident-protocol.pdf|archivedate = 2011-06-08}}{{cite web|url = http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/planning-for-disasters-in-berkshire.pdf|title = Planning For Disasters In Berkshire|accessdate = 2010-01-13|last = West Berkshire Council|date = October 2004|display-authors = etal|url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110608020712/http://www.bracknell-forest.gov.uk/planning-for-disasters-in-berkshire.pdf|archivedate = 2011-06-08}}
BLSAR was formally called SEBEV, the original meaning of SEBEV was South East Berkshire Emergency Volunteers, however the full title was dropped in 1994 and the team was then known simply as SEBEV Search and Rescue (or sometimes by the media as Berkshire Search and Rescue) in order to better reflect their role. In 2011 SEBEV changed its name again to Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue (BLSAR).{{cite web|url = http://www.sebev.co.uk/about-sebev|title = About SEBEV Search and Rescue|accessdate = 2 October 2011|year = 2011|last = SEBEV Search and Rescue|url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20111006204328/http://www.sebev.co.uk/about-sebev|archivedate = 6 October 2011}}
History
The organisation was originally set up in 1980 by John Cowling as a Civil Defence volunteer team to provide support for the local authorities and the statutory emergency services during civil emergencies as a category one responder, support organisation (CCA 2004).{{cite web|url = http://www.reading.gov.uk/Documents/Committee_Services/Corporate_Community_External_Affairs_Scrutiny_Panel/-2007-2008/080319/item4a.pdf|title = Flood Plan - Fluvial/Rivers & Pluvial/Drains|accessdate = 2010-01-13|last = Reading Borough Council|authorlink = |date = November 2007}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web|url = http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200203/cmhansrd/vo030204/halltext/30204h03.htm|title = Flooding (Thames Valley)|accessdate = 2010-01-13|last = Parliament of the United Kingdom|date = February 2003|url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110605034337/http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/cm200203/cmhansrd/vo030204/halltext/30204h03.htm|archivedate = 2011-06-05}} At the time its membership consisted of mainly council employees who met once a month for basic training in such things as message handling, logging and plotting and map reading.{{cite web|url = http://www.sebev.co.uk/oldsite/downloads/sebev/history_of_sebev.htm|title = History and Development of SEBEV|accessdate = 2010-01-13|last = SEBEV|authorlink = |date = n.d.}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
In 1981, BLSAR acquired its own headquarters, an ex-street cleansing depot, in one of the local housing estates which was redesigned and redecorated as a training area with communications facilities. Gradually the council staff left and replacement volunteers came from friends. Over a period of time they became entirely composed of non local authority staff, with the exception of the borough's Emergency Planning Liaison Officer. In 1984 the team moved from their single room premises into Easthampstead Park in Wokingham, taking over the basement area already used by the government as a bomb shelter BLSAR moved out of the premises in 2018 and are now based at the old Arborfield Garrison site.{{Citation needed|date=July 2018}}
BLSAR members meet once a week to undertake training as well as training weekends, at home and away.
In 1995, its primary function changed to providing lowland search and rescue support for Berkshire. The team, based at Easthampstead Park Conference Centre in Wokingham, Berkshire is available 24 hours a day to search for missing persons. BLSAR also assists other SAR teams in neighbouring counties, when needed. The team has its own fully equipped incident control vehicle and an incident support vehicle plus all equipment necessary for rescue and first aid purposes.{{cite web|url = http://www.berkshire-websites.co.uk/sebev-search-rescue/|title = SEBEV Search & Rescue|accessdate = 2010-01-13|last = SEBEV Search & Rescue|authorlink = |date=December 2008}}
BLSAR meets weekly for training in such subjects as search techniques. communications, navigation, first aid, including use of Automatic External Defibrillators,{{cite web|url = http://re-search.org.uk/2009/12/10/sebev-trains-its-members-in-aed-use/|title = SEBEV trains its members in AED use|accessdate = 2010-01-13|last = Bradley|first = Robert|date = December 2009|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091215230102/http://re-search.org.uk/2009/12/10/sebev-trains-its-members-in-aed-use/|archive-date = 2009-12-15|url-status = dead}} rescue techniques, team building, navigation amongst other subjects.{{cite web|url=http://www.sebev.co.uk/training |title=Training |accessdate=2010-01-13 |last=SEBEV - Search and Rescue Team (Berkshire) |year=2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091129020530/http://www.sebev.co.uk/training |archivedate=November 29, 2009 }}
BLSAR is a member team of ALSAR the Association of Lowland Search and Rescue{{cite web|url = http://www.alsar.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57&Itemid=64/|title = Member Units|accessdate = 2010-01-13|last = Association of Lowland Search and Rescue|authorlink = |date = n.d.}} and is mentioned in the Search and Rescue Framework for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.{{cite web|url = http://www.ukshipregister.co.uk/uksar.pdf|title = Search and Rescue Framework for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland|accessdate = 2010-01-13|last = Queen’s Printer and Controller|date = April 2008|archive-url = http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100303233810/http%3A//www.ukshipregister.co.uk/uksar.pdf|archive-date = 2010-03-03|url-status = dead}}
Fundraising and Events
Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue (BLSAR) is funded purely by its own fundraising efforts, local community events and occasional grants or donations.
BLSAR provides first aid, marshals and stewards for local events such as carnivals, music festivals, sports activities and firework displays.{{cite web|url = http://www.sebev.org.uk/about-sebev/event-services|title = Event Services|accessdate = 2010-01-13|last = SEBEV - Berkshire Search and Rescue Team|authorlink = |year = 2009}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.berkshirerescue.org.uk/}}
- {{EW charity|1046861}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20100310204257/http://www.alsar.org.uk/ Association of Lowland Search and Rescue]
Category:Volunteer search and rescue in the United Kingdom