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What is ISAR?
The United Kingdom International Search and Rescue Team (UK-ISAR) is on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to respond to humanitarian accidents or disasters anywhere in the world, to provide a ‘Search and Rescue Facility’.
Disasters and accidents can happen at any time and anywhere in the world, often without warning. There is a need for professional teams that can deploy rapidly and undertake effective search and rescue operations. The UK ISAR Team is registered with the United Nations and The European Community Mechanism and provides such a service. The team has, over the last 18 years, successfully carried out search, rescue and relief missions around the world.
How Does ISAR Work?
The UK International Search and Rescue Team has components supplied by 13 UK Fire and Rescue Services. Each service undertakes to provide a six-person team of search and rescue specialists. The team work a rota system ensuring that at least 36 search and rescue specialists are available at any one time for both national and international deployments.
Group A |
Group B |
Grampian |
Greater Manchester |
These Fire and Rescue Service groups each work a four month cycle involving periods of Immediate Response and Secondary Response.
Immediate Response indicates readiness to deploy to a point of departure in the UK arriving within six hours of receiving deployment notification, with Secondary Response being ready to deploy within 24 hours.
Specific groups also provide command, logistical and medical support in order to ensure that the team is self-sufficient and meets all the requirements of the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) system.
The INSARAG was formed in 1991, as a cooperative effort by the United Nations and many of the participating countries in International Search and Rescue.
The mission of INSARAG is to develop effective international relationships in order to save lives and render humanitarian services following natural or man-made disasters.
The INSARAG Guidelines aim to provide a methodology for the country affected by a sudden onset disaster causing large-scale structural collapse (for example caused by earthquakes) as well as international USAR teams responding to the affected country. They also outline the role of the UN assisting affected countries in on-site coordination.
The ultimate authority for UK-ISAR is provided by the Chief Fire Officers of the 13 Fire and Rescue Services that support the organisation and provide resources for both operational and administrative purposes. The UK-ISAR National Lead is currently held by Chief Fire Officer Mike Thomas of Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service.
