Supporting Herefordshire
Providing trusted transport and support to our community during times of need.
Supporting Herefordshire
Providing trusted transport and support to our community during times of need.
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Who We Are and What We Do
Who We Are and What We Do
Herefordshire 4x4 Response is a volunteer-led, not-for-profit organisation made up entirely of unpaid responders who provide emergency transport and logistical support in Herefordshire when normal access is disrupted.
We work in support of Category 1 and Category 2 responder organisations, including the NHS, emergency services, and local authorities, helping to keep vital services running during severe weather, flooding, snow, or other challenging conditions. We operate at the request of partner agencies and work closely with local emergency planners as part of the county’s wider resilience arrangements. We can also provide support beyond Herefordshire through mutual aid when required.
Using our volunteers’ own 4×4 vehicles — and our dedicated response vehicle — we are able to deliver this support regardless of weather, terrain, or location, reaching communities and key workers when standard vehicles cannot.
Our Responders
Who We Are and What We Do
All responders with Herefordshire 4x4 Response are unpaid volunteers who give their time to support their local community. Responders undergo enhanced DBS checks, role-appropriate training, and bring a wide range of skills and experience from their professional and voluntary backgrounds.
Responders usually operate using their own 4×4 vehicles, ranging from modern low-mileage vehicles to older, well-prepared and proven vehicles. For larger or more complex incidents, we can deploy a controller, embed one within a partner organisation’s operational cell, or deploy RV1, our dedicated response vehicle, to provide on-site coordination, command support, and responder welfare.
As we are not a blue-light service, responders may need a short time to mobilise from everyday life. Despite this, response times remain strong, with a typical mobilisation of 15–20 minutes and a fastest recorded mobilisation of 8 minutes from first contact to vehicle en-route.
Examples of Deployments
Examples of Deployments
Staff transport during severe weather
Transporting essential staff to and from shifts during snow, flooding, or other severe weather, including district nurses, on-call doctors, police officers, and other key workers.
Search and Rescue (SAR) support
We can deploy 4×4 vehicles capable of transporting up to four search technicians, their equipment, and where required, a search dog. This approach maximises the effective use of qualified search personnel, allows optimal positioning of the search RVP, and reduces wasted time and distance travelling to search areas.
Safety support for roadside searching
Vehicles can be positioned as safety blocks to protect SAR teams who are required to search verges or areas adjacent to live roads.
Evacuations
Supporting the safe movement of people from affected areas when normal transport routes are unavailable.
Logistics and welfare support
Including:
- Delivery of bottled water during supply outages
- Transport of equipment and supplies for rest centres
- Towing of trailers
- Conducting welfare checks during extended power outages
- Emergency planning support
Providing transport for emergency planning officers and partner agencies to allow full assessment of evolving incidents in areas otherwise difficult to access.