RAPID-UK

PRESIDENT

HRH THE DUKE OF GLOUCESTER KG GCVO

RAPID-UK is now embraced under the RAPID-International umbrella, which will enable close working and sharing of personnel and experiences and provide a more embedded response network around the world enabling more defined support to each other.

The highly appropriate name RAPID-UK is an acronym for “Rescue And Preparedness In Disasters” and describes this highly successful team of personnel, which was formed to meet a growing international need to not only support disaster response but also share knowledge and experience in better preparing communities. Its members have now amassed more than 28 years of experience responding to disasters from the Armenia earthquake 1988 to the Philippines Typhoon more recently in 2013.

All team members are volunteers and give their time freely to help others. Within hours of a disaster occurring anywhere in the world a RAPID-UK response team of self-sufficient, highly trained and experienced personnel are assembled and en route to the disaster to deploy its life saving skills.

These often hazardous missions are manned by dedicated volunteers who come from a diversity of backgrounds including military, emergency services (Fire, Police, Ambulance) engineers and builders all who bring their unique life skills with the sole aim to save lives through preparedness and intervention.

RAPID-UK is one of only a few non-government funded response teams in the world to be involved in capacity building at government and community levels as well as maintaining a response capability in support of governments who are overwhelmed by an emergency situation. The pre-emptive disaster preparedness and capacity building in the form of training, equipment support and sharing of experiences is now carried out under the newly formed RAPID-International, which now acts as the umbrella for various organisations and teams around the world.

RAPID-UK have deployed to a considerable amount of disasters and projects over the years, which can be viewed under the History section.

Please support the work of RAPID-UK

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India earthquake rescue
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Pakistan earthquake