Coronavirus: Hampshire Search and Rescue team to man new PPE hub in Portsmouth to give protective gear to health workers

About 90 members of the Hampshire Search and Rescue team have come forward to help run the new city-based centre.

Launched this week, the organisation is the brainchild of Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt and was created to combat a shortage of PPE for carers working on the front line of the coronavirus crisis.

Its aim is to amass a stock of protective gear for health workers, like masks, face shields, gloves and aprons, and ship much-needed items out to health workers across the city.

The set-up has been hailed a triumph by former defence secretary Ms Mordaunt, who praised the search and rescue team for its help.

Speaking to The News, she added: ‘In Portsmouth we do what is needed.

‘Every person who needs PPE to care for others and fight the virus must get it. It isn’t good enough to try to do that. It must happen.

‘I’m glad we are giving this plan a go. Huge thanks to Hampshire Search and Rescue for agreeing to help.’

Trevor Vidler, vice-chairman of Hampshire Search and Rescue, said his team was braced for action.

‘We’re ready to hit the ground running,’ he told The News. ‘There are obviously a number of people in desperate need of PPE and we’re ready to help.’

He added he was stunned by the show of support from his squad of volunteers, who are on call 24/7, 365 days a year to track down vulnerable missing people across the county.

‘Within two hours of putting the call out I had 70 people volunteering. We now have 80 to 90 people ready to help,’ he said. ‘It sounds trite but I am so proud of our team members, who always step up to the plate.’

About 10 volunteers a day will man the depot, sorting through PPE order ‘wish lists’ before bagging them up and delivering them across the city.

Operations will begin as soon as the first batch of PPE arrives, which is expected later this week.

And if things go well, Mr Vidler said the scheme could be rolled out to neighbouring cities like Southampton.

‘We have the capability to do this if needed,’ he said.

Mr Vidler added the new responsibility would not affect the charity’s ability to be deployed by the police to find missing people.

‘We will still have the rest of our team available if there’s a call out across the county,’ he said. ‘It shouldn’t impact on it, we should have the flexibility to do both.’

He added: ‘We have only had one or two missing people since the crisis really started.’

In March 2018, search and rescue crews helped shuttle stranded by the Beast from the East snowstorm to hospital.

The organisation is voluntary and relies on public funds. To support it, see hantsar.org