Community Rescue Service Portglenone

Community Rescue Service provide rural and urban search, water rescue and community support and education, and cover all of Northern Ireland.

The Community Rescue Service (CRS) is a charitable organisation operated by volunteers from communities across Northern Ireland.

It was established in co-operation with the Police to support them with their statutory responsibilities for the safety of the general public. Our main support function is crisis intervention, covering 62 km of the River Bann from Lough Neagh (at Toomebridge) down stream to Seaton’s marina, near the Barmouth. Another one of our main roles is to provide the resources required to search for missing persons throughout the entire region of Northern Ireland. The organisation is also involved in crisis intervention, rural and urban search, water rescue and community support and education.

Our volunteers are trained to standards as set by ALSAR, the ACPO and the National Occupational Standards agreed by Skills for Justice in relation to all aspects of search for missing persons.

These regulated external organisations develop the skill set and competency of the CRS volunteers in advanced first aid, casualty handling, crisis intervention, boat handling skills, search techniques, search management and planning, advanced driving skills, VHF communications and conflict management to name but a few.

Like ALSAR, we recognise that a search and rescue volunteer is a person who, of their own free will, gives their time, effort and skill to lifesaving search and rescue operations, without expectation of profit and as part of an organisation recognised by the statutory authorities.

There are currently over 100 fully trained volunteers, these volunteers are strategically placed throughout the region and are ready to respond at a moments notice, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days of the year.

As well as being a primary responder, CRS is an entirely complimentary service dedicated to assisting, not only those who find themselves in need of help, but also to organisations and agencies who require support.

Tags: Community Organization