British Transport Police Rescue unit

[kevinrichardeaton 11]

been away for a while but thought I'd pop back and share this with you

We've established a new partnership with Transport for London to allow their Emergency Response Unit vehicles to use flashing blue lights when responding to incidents on the Tube network. In a trial scheme the specialist unit that responds when incidents such as person under train or broken down trains cause a threat to the safety of passengers will become a police vehicle. It will travel under the same ‘Blue Light’ conditions used by police, ambulance and fire services. This means that it will be able to cut through London’s traffic more quickly, cutting response times and so enhancing passenger safety by reducing disruption and delays across the network.

Three ERU vehicles, which will operate from Camden, have been painted in BTP livery and kitted out with lights and sirens. They will carry engineers with specialist equipment and be driven by seven of our officers who will be working full time with the Unit.

Assistant Chief Constable Alan Pacey, who attended the launch of the trial at Canary Wharf station on Thursday 9 February, said:

"Passenger safety will be improved by using 'blue lights' to get engineers and equipment to the scene of incidents as quickly as possible.

"Stuck trains will be freed from tunnels more quickly, enhancing passenger safety. By getting the line moving sooner there will also be fewer crowd safety issues in and around stations."

When will the blue lights be used?

Use of the blue lights on the ERU vehicle will be subject to the same criteria as any other incident that police attend in that public safety must be at risk before they can be activated.

They will only be used when there is:

• Threat to life
• Serious injury to a person
• Use of or immediate threat of a use of violence
• Serious damage to property

[Pagers 197]

So I'm guessing it is Britain's version of MTA Police ESU.... Good Concept and love the truck.

[newsbuff 286]

Im telling ya, if you can't see one of those rigs, you've gotta be blind. Thing looks nice, and good luck with it.

[99subi 121]

Do these guys carry?

Edited March 5, 2012 by 99subi

[Pagers 197]

Do these guys carry?

I don't think they do, could be wrong. I believe only special Metro Units, Constablury Units, and Diplomatic Police Units carry weapons

[kevinrichardeaton 11]

funny you should ask British Transport Police are in the process of setting up a 100 man armed suport unit, so will have there own tactical team

these guys won't carry as only the driver s a police officer (yellow vest) the guys in orange are all civilian engineers who will work alongside the police, fire rescue and ambulance staff after 7/7 and the inquiry a few new units were setup to deal with mass casulty events in and around london

London Fire Brigade have USAR - Urban Search & Rescue

London Ambulance have HART - Hazardous Area Response Team

Met,City & BTP have under various names a CBRN response capibility and in the mets case the only non military EOD team in the country

this unit has been around in one form or another for years, perviously it was staffed totally by civilians with no Blue light authority, they got round this and the law by assigning a police driver and repainting the vehicles with the word police covereing the section of the legislation for "police purposes"

[kevinrichardeaton 11]

Found this on Flickr and thought I'd share it

[MoFire390 118]

awesome photos and thanks for sharing.

[kevinrichardeaton 11]

not seen the vehicles first hand yet but will try and take some pics when I do , the armed units are also out patroling now also in some very nice Mercs

[SECTMB 612]

I have often wondered why our electric and gas utilities don't have vehicles with red lights and sirens to respond to true emergency situations. I know a lot of people will say that there sometimes isn't that much of a time difference by using the lights and siren, but if you need a gas shut off or electrical shut down and that utility worker is crossing the County to get to you, it can make a difference.

How may times are you monitoring and hear it will be thirty minutes for the utility worker. If we need that utility worker to facilitate our intervention in the emergency shouldn't they be afforded the opportunity to respond accordingly like any other mutual aid unit.

[kevinrichardeaton 11]

the only country I know of that allows utilities workers to have emergency lights is Germany where the railways,electric & water all have a small number of bluelight equiped units certainly in the UK police,fire,ambulance,eod,coastguard are the only ones (i know of)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/unknownisland/sets/72157594410124621/with/4606886617/

Edited March 8, 2012 by kevinrichardeaton

[ny10570 745]

NYC has emergency marked ConEd vehicles with red lights. Not sure about a siren though. We also have a whole ot of PD available and can get an esourt for anyone to anywhere fairly quickly.

Edited March 8, 2012 by ny10570