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Somerset flooding.
- Thread starter wobbly
- Start date
jonnyboy54321
Well-Known Member
You're doing a fantastic job Pete, all volunteers are.
Where are all the pious Prius drivers now eh?
Where are all the pious Prius drivers now eh?
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Sorry to say it Pete but i think i just quit the 4x4 response team even before i got started , fact is i never wanted to be a policeman or an ambulance driver , an expert in anything or wear a uniform and my initial meeting with the team (along with the ludicrous list of "essential" kit i must carry) and today's hour long briefing about how to transport blood (i left after 10 minutes) just switched me off to the idea .
Don't get me wrong i have great respect for the work you guys do but i'm not the kind of guy that likes to tick boxes . They have my phone number and i hope they call if i can help .
The above and other comments i've read (one make clubs etc) make me wonder how many would be responders do not take part because of local nuances ? .
It's a crying shame , perhaps if the 4x4 Response team had a central body which could dictate the minimum requirements for responders the number of active members would increase significantly ?
Don't get me wrong i have great respect for the work you guys do but i'm not the kind of guy that likes to tick boxes . They have my phone number and i hope they call if i can help .
The above and other comments i've read (one make clubs etc) make me wonder how many would be responders do not take part because of local nuances ? .
It's a crying shame , perhaps if the 4x4 Response team had a central body which could dictate the minimum requirements for responders the number of active members would increase significantly ?
moggy1968
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In any organisation like this you will get the amateur wannabies, the walter mitties, the emergency service rejects, but for every one of them is another thoroughly good chap or lass that are just good company to be with. You just have to ignore the other ones! Can be tricky as they tend to be the sort of pedant that makes it through into positions of authority 'cos the good guys can't be arsed!
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The Herts 4x4 response is a decent setup. There are the guys who have every piece of checker plate ever made for a LR 90 and then there is a 50 year old lady with a x-reg freelander who wants nothing other than to take people to and from hospital when they cannot get there because of weather conditions. Minimum requirements? Nothing really that I can remember other than a brand new, very warm hi-vi jacket which they charged me £10 for. I attended a couple of meetings and found that that side of it was not for me (I cannot hold endless conversations about blown gearboxes and wiggle shafts) but when there is a problem, they happy to call and ask for help. Conversation with the chairman / man who answers the phone always ends with "be safe". Simples.
Personally, if you tried to centralise the whole thing and have a minimum set of requirements and how-to's, it would ruin it. There is a right and wrong way to do things and if you centralise it then you have to have everyone doing it the right way or the guy who did it the wrong way will be in trouble with those above. Mrs Jones who wants to drive the nurses to hospital will not be allowed out without tow strap and shackles. As it she does not go out if the snow is more than a few inches anyway.
Each group to his own, let the nuances stay within each group. Like-minded members will gravitate towards each group but at the end of the day, the they're all willing to help others which is what counts.
I do wish I had a snorkel on the 150 - I would be there helping. The Herts guys sent out an email asking for people with vehicles which can manage 700mm of water (apparently a stock LR 90 is 400mm only!) As-is I can do 700 but without a snorkel, I would get into trouble eventually wading around for any decent period.
Top job to all those who are helping!
Personally, if you tried to centralise the whole thing and have a minimum set of requirements and how-to's, it would ruin it. There is a right and wrong way to do things and if you centralise it then you have to have everyone doing it the right way or the guy who did it the wrong way will be in trouble with those above. Mrs Jones who wants to drive the nurses to hospital will not be allowed out without tow strap and shackles. As it she does not go out if the snow is more than a few inches anyway.
Each group to his own, let the nuances stay within each group. Like-minded members will gravitate towards each group but at the end of the day, the they're all willing to help others which is what counts.
I do wish I had a snorkel on the 150 - I would be there helping. The Herts guys sent out an email asking for people with vehicles which can manage 700mm of water (apparently a stock LR 90 is 400mm only!) As-is I can do 700 but without a snorkel, I would get into trouble eventually wading around for any decent period.
Top job to all those who are helping!
Graham
Well-Known Member
I think the stock LR Defender is 500mm
Up to the top of the wheel rim.
I would have gone, my wading depth is about 1200mm, before the rear wheels lift off the surface.
I guess a couple of concrete blocks in protective wrappings in the rear, would help keep the rear wheels down more firmly.
But it's just too far.
Cost too much in fuel to even get there.
Gra
Up to the top of the wheel rim.
I would have gone, my wading depth is about 1200mm, before the rear wheels lift off the surface.
I guess a couple of concrete blocks in protective wrappings in the rear, would help keep the rear wheels down more firmly.
But it's just too far.
Cost too much in fuel to even get there.
Gra
We are sorry to hear about the recent floodings in Somerset, we understand how devastating it must be for the local residents, we would like to offer to help get their properties back to it's pre-damaged condition within the shortest amount of time possible. For help and advice please contact {admin edit}
{CP edit: What heartless spamming knobs}
{CP edit: What heartless spamming knobs}
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Bravo Chelsea, whoever you may not be... You've just awarded yourself the top lowlife award of 2014, which is unlikely to be beaten in the remaining 10 months of this year. 
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wobbly
Well-Known Member
Chelsey - if thats a genuine offer, good one, plenty of tradesmen offering to work for free, pm me your details and I will make sure it gets to the right people.
If, however, my somewhat cynical friends and enthusiasts are correct and its a poorly veiled attempt to gain personal advantage - then the good news is Ive just checked my pants, and it seems I've already got a fucking huge knob, so don't need another.....
Don't take offence if you're genuine, but there are some real bell-ends coming out of the woodwork.
Pete
If, however, my somewhat cynical friends and enthusiasts are correct and its a poorly veiled attempt to gain personal advantage - then the good news is Ive just checked my pants, and it seems I've already got a fucking huge knob, so don't need another.....
Don't take offence if you're genuine, but there are some real bell-ends coming out of the woodwork.
Pete
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Genuine offer in so far as he was hoping to make money. First time post with all his contact details, if it was written in Chinglish then it would have been reported many times by the users. It would not have been as bad if he had put his hand in and said "hey, hope you don't mind but..."
Hey ho, they're everywhere.
Knucklehead
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What goes around comes around Chelsea or whoever you are. Full praise to the genuine folk trying to help out.
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Pete i haven't got much to offer other than a truck that can get places but i have considered just driving down and seeing if i can help . Trouble is i have no roof tent or trailer and i would imagine all B&B's etc that are still able to open must be packed out ?
I like Shayne's offer it shows genuine good intentions, which I'm sure are shared amongst the majority of the members. Just as a matter of interest Pete, how effectively can the Official organized recovery groups deal with genuine offers of assistance from "outsiders" such as Shayne?
It would be a pity if they were prevented from assisting, although I could appreciate the difficulties it would raise, insurances, liabilities and the like. Is there provision for temporary membership in cases of emergency or by some other means?
Clearly, the circumstances of visiting assistance in an uncoordinated way, could do more harm than good, irrespective of honorable good intentions.
Well done Shayne, in any event
It would be a pity if they were prevented from assisting, although I could appreciate the difficulties it would raise, insurances, liabilities and the like. Is there provision for temporary membership in cases of emergency or by some other means?
Clearly, the circumstances of visiting assistance in an uncoordinated way, could do more harm than good, irrespective of honorable good intentions.
Well done Shayne, in any event
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On the same theme, we recently had a disaster where an emergency medical crew flying in an organ transplant, crashed their plane in a mountainous region of Romania.
A sad event, as all concerned were trained volunteers, and their organisation body was so underfunded they had no means to raise a rescue for the victims. It caused a big scandal here because the survivors were eventually rescued by local uncoordinated villagers, who knew the mountains, and managed to get by phone sufficient visual data from one of the survivors to find and rescue them.
The pilot died soon after the crash, and one young student medic perished. The crux was that she died minutes before being rescued, and of course, had the rescue been better organized, she may have been saved.
A sad event, as all concerned were trained volunteers, and their organisation body was so underfunded they had no means to raise a rescue for the victims. It caused a big scandal here because the survivors were eventually rescued by local uncoordinated villagers, who knew the mountains, and managed to get by phone sufficient visual data from one of the survivors to find and rescue them.
The pilot died soon after the crash, and one young student medic perished. The crux was that she died minutes before being rescued, and of course, had the rescue been better organized, she may have been saved.
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Thanks Clive you have voiced my doubts , i'm in a pretty unique position as i'm not really worried about claiming fuel costs etc and i have time to spare because my business is more or less hands off though a months long marathon is required now and then to buck things up . That months just passed and i'm now home twiddling my thumbs . As for insurance and liability etc as i see it i would be right in thick of it if i lived there with no back up whatsoever so who needs it .
I should add i wouldn't want to arrive only to spend all day driving around looking for something to do so obviously i would want to attach myself to a central body or organization , no paperwork just tell me what needs done .
I should add i wouldn't want to arrive only to spend all day driving around looking for something to do so obviously i would want to attach myself to a central body or organization , no paperwork just tell me what needs done .
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moggy1968
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I spoke to a member of 4x4 response the other day offering my help, with a hilux invincible, ex military and an A&E nurse with 25 years experience I thought there might be something I could offer, however, at the moment even the 4x4 response guys or on standby, the water is now over 5feet in many places so even well equiped 4x4s are out, specialist vehicles only.
They did raise the issue of training, as I haven't done their training course, but I think you can get a bit precious about these things.
However, there is a valid point, that this sort of thing needs some degree of coordination and cohesion or people could end up doing more damage, or using valuable resources when they get into trouble because they don't know what the full situation on the ground is.
They did raise the issue of training, as I haven't done their training course, but I think you can get a bit precious about these things.
However, there is a valid point, that this sort of thing needs some degree of coordination and cohesion or people could end up doing more damage, or using valuable resources when they get into trouble because they don't know what the full situation on the ground is.
