UK ISAR Attends Taiwan National Disaster Agency Annual Mobilisation and Earthquake Exercise
September 17, 2025
Team members from UK ISAR attended the Taiwan National Disaster Agency (NDA) Annual Mobilisation and Earthquake Exercise between 17–20 September 2025. A seven-person team, led by National Coordinator and Team Leader Russ Gauden, participated in the large-scale exercise, which simulated a magnitude 8.5 earthquake and tsunami scenario. The event was designed to test the capabilities […]
UK ISAR Joins Global Experts at GCTF Workshop on International Disaster Response and Recovery
June 25, 2025
UK ISAR’s National Coordinator, Russ Gauden, had the honour of representing the UK at the recent Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) workshop in Taipei. Sitting alongside leading influential experts from across the public, private, and academic sectors, the event focused on strengthening international cooperation in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery. This influential workshop provided […]
UK ISAR Supports Global Disaster Readiness Through INSARAG Reclassifications
June 20, 2025
UK ISAR has recently played a key role in supporting the International External Reclassification (IER) of urban search and rescue teams from China, Poland, and France, acting as classifiers under INSARAG guidelines. By providing technical expertise, impartial assessment, and peer support, UK ISAR helped ensure these teams met the rigorous standards required for reclassification, reinforcing […]
FCDO Annual Asset Check and Visit: A Closer Look at UK ISAR Operations
May 28, 2025
UK ISAR recently welcomed representatives from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service and the National Resilience Centre of Excellence for the annual asset check and an in-depth operational showcase. The visit was hosted by Chief Fire Officer Nick Searle, with special guest Mr. Nick Harvey, Head of Indo-Pacific […]
UK ISAR Wins Team of the Year at Global Search & Rescue Excellence Awards
May 16, 2025
In May, representatives from UK ISAR team proudly attended the prestigious Global Search & Rescue Excellence Awards — an event celebrating outstanding dedication and performance in emergency response around the world. We are proud to announce that UK ISAR was named Team of the Year, a remarkable honour recognising our team’s professionalism, global impact, and […]
Fire Aid Convoy 8 Delivers UK’s Largest Fire Equipment Donation to Ukraine
April 7, 2025
UK ISAR played a leading role in the successful transportation of Fire Aid Convoy 8, which has safely travelled from the south of England to the western border of Poland/Ukraine. The convoy delivered 30 fire and rescue vehicles and over 15,000 pieces of equipment, marking one of the largest single donations of fire equipment ever […]
UK ISAR Team Honoured by Royalty at Humanitarian Reception
February 20, 2025
A distinguished team from UK ISAR was honoured at a humanitarian reception at Buckingham Palace, where they met King Charles III, Queen Camilla, and Princess Anne. The reception recognised the invaluable contributions of humanitarian organisations, including UK ISAR, for their dedication to disaster response and global aid efforts. Among those in attendance were members of […]
UK ISAR Joins the Diaspora Event in Liverpool, Celebrating Culture and Unity
December 13, 2024
UK ISAR was honoured to participate in the Diaspora event held in Liverpool, a significant occasion hosted by Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service. The event was an inspiring celebration of culture, designed to spark change and bring people together through the Race Equality and Cultural Heritage Network. One of the highlights of the event was […]
UKISAR Capability Team Visits the Netherlands USAR Team for Productive Two-Day Meeting
December 13, 2024
Members of the UK ISAR Capability team, including two from the admin team, recently visited the the Netherlands USAR Team (USARNL) for a focused two-day meeting aimed at improving key operational processes. The discussions were centered on refining administration, mobilisation, and equipment management, ensuring that both teams continue to evolve and enhance their operational effectiveness. […]
Welcome to Bill Sanders, Our New UK ISAR Chaplain
May 24, 2024
We are delighted to welcome Bill Sanders as our new UK ISAR Chaplain. Bill will play a vital role by providing a point of contact to signpost for mental health and wellbeing and offering a compassionate and non-judgmental ear. Bill is here to listen, care, and support, reinforcing our commitment to the well-being of our […]
Crufts Hero Dog Award Winner 2024
March 10, 2024
March 2024 Our search and rescue dog, Vesper, has been crowned the winner of The Kennel Club Hero Dog Award! Vesper’s heroic work saving lives won over the public in a national vote. She has displayed countless moments of bravery in numerous disaster deployments, such as the horrific earthquakes in Turkey and Morocco where they […]
The Emergency Services Show 2023
September 25, 2023
September 2023 The recent attendance of UK ISAR at The Emergency Show 2023 held at the NEC Birmingham was a resounding success. The team stall received significant attention, drawing in a diverse crowd of attendees, where valuable networking opportunities flourished. UK ISAR team member Chris Jowett from Lancashire FRS, showcased the drones used by the […]
Disaster Management Conference 2023
September 20, 2023
September 2023 A trip to Taiwan’s Taipei City, saw representatives from UK ISAR attend not only the 2023 Disaster Management Conference, but also gain a key insight to the New Taipei City Government Fire Departments capabilities and their overallunderstanding of International Search & Rescue operations. During the time in Taiwan every opportunity was taken to […]
Women in the Fire service
June 9, 2023
June 2023 The Women in the Fire Service Group was established to support, inspire and empower women in the Fire & Rescue Service (FRS). Their vision is ‘To work with FRS’s in developing a culture of equality of opportunity and to support all women in achieving their full potential within it’. In support of this […]
New UK ISAR cainines
May 11, 2023
Congratulations to our new team members, Millie from Kent Fire & Rescue and Bailey from Essex Fire & Rescue Milly and Bailey have successfully completed their 18-month training with UK ISAR. These remarkable canines, along with their skilled handlers, have demonstrated exceptional performance in all modules and final assessments. They are now officially registered as […]
10 Downing Street Visit
May 9, 2023
May 2023 What an honour for UK ISAR to receive an invitation to a reception held at No.10 Downing Street last week, recognising their invaluable support in the aftermaths of the Türkiye earthquake
UK ISAR Recruitment
March 26, 2018
UK ISAR has recently undertaken a very robust and challenging recruitment process. Due to a number of retirements across the 15 member services, a joined up approach was taken.