Hazardous area response team

A hazardous area response team (HART) is an NHS ambulance service in England and Wales devoted to providing medical care to patients in the "hot zone" of hazardous environments.

Teams are activated and sent to various incidents, such as CBRNe, hazmat, collapsed buildings, patients at height or in confined space, water rescue, and flooding, firearms incidents and explosions.

HART teams are made up of emergency medical personnel, such as paramedics who have undergone specialised training in the use of special procedures, skills, vehicles and equipment. Their specialised equipment includes personal protective equipment (such as breathing apparatus, hazmat suits, and climbing tethers for working at height), cutting equipment for extrication, and flotation devices and rafts for working on water.

Origins

Hazardous area response teams originated from a 2004 report on the feasibility of paramedics working in the hot zone or inner cordon of major incidents.[1]

Capabilities

All 16 HART teams within the ambulance services of England & Wales have the same capabilities.[2]

Gen 1 HART (most vehicle no longer in service)


Gen 2 HART vehicles:

  • PRV - Primary Response Vehicle (Volkswagen Transporter with WAS body)
  • SRV - Secondary Response Vehicle (Mercedes Benz Sprinter with WAS body)

These Incident Response Units carry All HART capabilities. Including Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (Hazmat/Hazmed), MTA – Marauding Terrorist Attack (TMO)including Fire Arms, SWAH – Safe Working at Height, USAR - Urban Search and Rescue, Confined Spaces, Unstable Terrain, Water Operations and supporting security operations[3]

  • Welfare Vehicle (Mercedes Benz Sprinter with WAS body)
  • IVECO Daily hook and lift with demountable (Incident Support Unit) Pod with Polaris ATV.

The IVECO and Polaris are Gen 1 HART and may soon be replaced by a simplified "all-wheel drive flatbed van with a ramp for loading and unloading" and ATV vehicle.[4]

Operational areas

A HART is operational in every NHS ambulance service in England and Wales.

A HART is operational in every NHS ambulance service in England and Wales.
Ambulance Service Base General Location
East of England Ambulance Service[5] Melbourn South West Cambridge
East of England Ambulance Service[5] Great Notley Braintree
East Midlands Ambulance Service[6] Mansfield Between Derby-Sheffield
London Ambulance Service[7] Cody Road East London
London Ambulance Service[7] Isleworth West London
North East Ambulance Service[8] Monkton Newcastle
North West Ambulance Service[9] Ashburton Point Trafford Park, Manchester
North West Ambulance Service[9] Croxteth MFRS: Croxteth Fire Station with USAR, Liverpool
South Central Ambulance Service[10] Eastleigh North Southampton
South East Coast Ambulance Service[11] Gatwick Gatwick
South East Coast Ambulance Service[11] Ashford Kent
South Western Ambulance Service[12] North Bristol North Bristol
South Western Ambulance Service[12] Exeter East Exeter
Yorkshire Ambulance Service[13] Manor Mill South Leeds
West Midlands Ambulance Service[14] Oldbury West Birmingham
Welsh Ambulance Service[15] Bryncethin Between Swansea-Cardiff

Similar capabilities exist within the Scottish Ambulance Service[16] - Special Operations Response Team (SORT)

Northern Ireland Ambulance Service[17] and Isle of Man Ambulance Service.

References
  1. Leivesley, Sally (Winter 2003–2004). "Bank Station Chemical Attack Simulation Exercise: Issues for Emergency Planners and Local Authorities". Alert: 4–6. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 December 2013.
  2. "About HART". Archived from the original on 27 January 2010. Retrieved 5 April 2010.
  3. "HART". NARU. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  4. "New HART Vehicles arrive in Yorkshire". NARU. 23 September 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  5. "Hazardous Area Response Team". eastamb.nhs.uk. East of England Ambulance Service. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  6. "HART". emas.nhs.uk. East Midlands Ambulance Service. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  7. "Hazardous area response team". londonambulance.nhs.uk. London Ambulance Service. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  8. "Hazardous Area Response Team". neas.nhs.uk. North East Ambulance Service. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  9. "Handling major incidents". nwas.nhs.uk. North West Ambulance Service. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  10. "Resilience and Specialist Operations". scas.nhs.uk. South Central Ambulance Service. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  11. "Our Locations". secamb.nhs.uk. South East Coast Ambulance Service. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  12. "Hazardous Area Response Team". swast.nhs.uk. South Western Ambulance Service. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  13. "Ambulance service responses". yas.nhs.uk. Yorkshire Ambulance Service. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  14. "Emergency Preparedness". wmas.nhs.uk. West Midlands Ambulance Service. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  15. "Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response". ambulance.wales.nhs.uk. Welsh Ambulance Service. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  16. "Dealing with Major Incidents". scottishambulance.com. Scottish Ambulance Service. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
  17. "HART". nias.hscni.net. Northern Ireland Ambulance Service. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
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