As the longest-serving member of the United Kingdom International Search and Rescue (UKISAR) team, Terry Jewell's 30-year career has seen him and his team deployed all over the world. "Six-hours' notice to move" became a way of life he quickly got used to during his career. As part of UKISAR, the official UK government international search and rescue team, Terry also continues his exceptional work within the Fire and Rescue Service as a Special Operations Support Officer. Here, he shares his take on how it is possible to contribute to a safe and healthy world of work, even in the most extreme and dangerous working conditions imaginable. On the surface, it sounds pretty straightforward. Six-hours' notice to move means that Terry and the UKISAR team, which consists of approximately 72 people selected from across 14 fire and rescue services in England, Wales and Scotland, as well as personnel made up of doctors, paramedics, nurses, vets and structural engineers, have to be at the departure airport ready to deploy to the country or disaster zone in question within six hours from the moment the call comes in. The average Joe or Jane might find that pretty daunting, but not Terry or the team. He says six-hours' notice to move is something he grew used to in his career; it is the easy bit with all kit and equipment held in one location, ready for transport to the deployment airport and the full team trained and clear on their roles. The tough bit is everything that goes on up the chain behind the scenes before the call even comes in.
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