ABOUT THE TEAM THE ASSETS THE JOB WE DO WUKSART
WUKSART (Watersafe UK Search & Rescue Team) is a voluntary search & rescue organisation and registered charity based in the East Midlands. Our purpose is to provide response and operational support to the Fire Service, Police and other blue light services.
Our Charitable Objectives
Our charitable objectives state we exist for public benefit, to relieve suffering and distress amongst persons endangered by flooding or natural hazards. WUKSART specialises in the following:
- Responding nationally to flooding under the DEFRA Concept of Operations.
- Water rescue incidents within the East Midlands and Nationally.
- Local & widespread flooding.
- Searches for missing and vulnerable people.
- Provide support during times of adverse weather conditions.
- Provide support at water related incidents when required.
- Powerboat rescue operations.
- Provide underwater search capability.
- Flood support to local communities including flood evacuation.
With skills in search & rescue, water & flood rescue, rope rescue and advanced medical care WUKSART always aims to deliver a fast, dynamic and professional team.
WUKSART was originally established in response to the National Flood Enhancement Project led by the Department of the Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in 2009. This Government led project was designed to officially collate all the water rescue assets around the United kingdom and type them against National standards with the aim that when National widespread flooding takes place these assets can be called upon.
Our purpose and aim is to provide response and support to the official Emergency Services in a range of situations, including water rescues, flood relief and support during times of adverse weather conditions, natural disaster or civil emergency, searches for missing people and be able to provide support at incidents as required.
We want to share our dedication for providing the best possible care to the people and the communities in which we live, work and play. To this end all our team members are all professionals sharing a passion for saving lives.
We can provide a team of volunteers who have the required skills, experience and local knowledge, as well as the necessary equipment and communications facilities, to be able to be of genuine assistance to the paid Emergency Services. We will provide this service at any time of the day or night, without charge, in any situation where one of the official Emergency Services or other approved organisations decides that their efforts would benefit from the support we can offer.
An example of what we do
About The Team
As any voluntary rescue team people come and go over time and currently WUKSART has 32 operational team members. We also have 4 new trainees waiting to commence with their initial training.
All of our team members are from disciplined backgrounds, which ensures that they are all experienced as working as team members or team leaders in a variety of situations.
Team skills cover the following:
Swiftwater & Flood Rescue
Flood Response & Evacuation
Powered Boat operations
River & Flood Search Management
Land Based Search
Safe Working at Height & Rope Rescue Operations
Emergency First Aid
Primarily WUKSART will cover the County of Derbyshire & Nottinghamshire whilst we support both the local Fire & Rescue Service and the Police.
We are on standby for National deployment for flood response around the United Kingdom.