Busiest year ever for Northamptonshire Search and Rescue charity as volunteers attend more than 90 incidents

With almost three weeks left of 2022, Northamptonshire Search and Rescue (NSAR) charity has already recorded its busiest ever year.

The charity has attended 93 incidents in 2022 supporting the county’s residents and assisting Northamptonshire Police and Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Services.

In total, the team has delivered just under 7,500 hours volunteering, which is a record high. The charity has worked out that these hours were paid at national living wage, it would equate to £71,000 of cost.

A NSAR Spokesperson said: “The team is rightly proud of the work it does and knowing we have been able to help save lives and return those missing to families. The organisation has continued to grow, and will remain on call 24/7, 365 days a year ready to assist when called.

“The team also wants to thank everyone in the local communities who support NSAR through fundraising, donations, bringing hot drinks to searches, making purchases of crucial equipment, and more.

“NSAR is also more than just humans, they have a several search dogs both qualified and in

training. These animals’ hours don’t get logged directly, but it is estimated they themselves have given more than 500 hours of time.

“Finally, a huge thanks is to be expressed to the families of NSAR volunteers, without the love and time a partner gives, a volunteer would not be able to go and do what they do. We know the volunteers have given their time, on birthdays, wedding anniversaries, weekends, nights, and we can’t thank all involved enough.”

The charity also wants to express its thoughts and prayers to those lost during the year, despite the best efforts, on some occasions the missing person cannot be found in time, which is a painful reality of the work these volunteers undertake.

NSAR has gone from strength to strength too during the year, with an increase in volunteers,

qualifications, and equipment.

Volunteers have qualified as search managers, team leaders, swift water search technicians (Rescue 3), drone pilots, dog handlers, missing person behaviour patterns, to name but a few. The team has also provided first aid cover to several events and given multiple talks to groups.

Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, Stephen Mold added: “I would like to thank all the volunteers at Northamptonshire Search and Rescue who carry out this specialist support work alongside our emergency services.

“Your contribution and commitment to keeping communities safe is evident in the number of incidents you have attended and the hours that you have volunteered. You are a huge asset to both Northamptonshire Police and the Fire Service and we look forward to continuing our work with you in the future.”

Looking to the future the team continues to have growth plans, with eyes on a new vehicle,

kayaks, trailers, more medical qualifications, and ultimately dreams of a physical base of operations. However, all of these require funding and ongoing support.

Find out more about the team, including ways to volunteer, donate and support on its website.