Hazardous Area Response Team

What is HART?

HART Stands for Hazardous Area Response Team; HART is a team of specially trained paramedics who are capable of providing an ambulatory response to high risk environments and complex emergency situations.

HART Operates in close alliance with other agencies, such as LFRS/FRU and employs specialised teams equipped with extraordinary equipment, staffed by highly trained medical executives to perform such duties.

The Hazardous Area Response team are capable of responding to incidents such as:

Hazardous Materials - Working inside the inner cordon where hazardous materials are present, transporting patients with high-risk infectious diseases, for example symptoms of Poisoning.

Working at Heights - Providing a specialist response to patients taken ill at height, either on man-made structures or within the natural environment.

Confined Spaces / Urban Search And Rescue - Providing a specialist response to patients caught in enclosed spaces; following building collapses; where compromised atmospheres are present, where entrapment of patients is hampering the delivery of care.

Unstable Terrain & Water Rescue - Providing a specialist response to patients where rural access or difficult terrain is providing a specific challenge to the rescue and extrication effort or to patients caught in water environments, for example swift water rescue, or where urban or rural flooding has occurred.

Public Order - Working alongside TSG with building clearances, street clearances I.e Protests that can involve casualties, HART Public Order Team will assess patients once passed onto them, and continue working alongside TSG.

How do you get into HART?

To join HART you must wait for our recruitment cycle to open to be able to apply. Applications open on a regular basis.

> Must have been an LHS Paramedic+ (not student).

> Must have completed Pain Management Development Package

> Must be willing to commit to 4 hours a month as HART.

> Any moderation action (Tx warning and bans) within the last 6 weeks will be considered.

> You can only hold 2 of 3 progression routes, if you hold anymore you must be willing to lose 1 to gain another (unless commendation).

Taking your time on the application is crucial to showcase your skills, experience and suitability for the division. By taking the time to prepare a comprehensive and thoughtful application, you are positioning yourself as a strong candidate.

Skills & Qualities

HART Command looks for those who are skilled members within PoliceMP and shows how to exhibit Skills and traits effectively such as teamwork and good communications ect. The ability to work under High-Stress situation, with no defections in your shift is a must.

HART are accountable for any actions made whilst on shift. Taught during training, HART paramedics must utilise the Dynamic Risk Assessments (DRA) to develop an understanding of the level of risk and how to adapt in these challenging scenarios. The responsibility to prioritise your life over a patient is a must, and to not undertake risks to retrieve, treat or evacuate injured persons.

Progression

Within HART, we offer many progression routes. For those willing to give back and act as a mentor for those aiming to join the division or even learn more about the division, we have our active buddy team who provide ride-alongs for all those who request them.

Our training team acts as a perfect route for internal progression within the Hazardous Area Response Team as it provides a platform to prove yourself for more advanced roles such as LHS Team Leader and will allow you to shape your future within HART. To reward our trainers there are certain perks included for their service towards the role.

Further Training

Water Rescue - This training package will allow you to attend calls that require water rescue.

Urban Search And Rescue - This training package will allow you to attend calls that require the Polaris, and work alongside FRU in cave rescues and many other incidents.

Working At Heights - This training package will allow you to work at heights alongside FRU and extract patients.Requirements - Must have completed at least one week of probation.

Public Order Team - This training package will allow you to attend scenes that involve TSG, and will be there to assist with first aid, but will always maintain a distance and allow TSG to bring patients to you.Requirements - Must have completed USAR, WAH and WR training.

You must have passed a 1 week probation period as HART to be eligible for any of the above development packages.

Sub-Divisions

SORT - The SORT Team are highly trained HART Members who have dedicated time and effort into HART Reaching the top level, SORT also Consist of HART personnel who have additional training similar to some aspects of HART to be able to provide support within major incidents. These can include working in CBRN incidents, specialised training in decontamination, advanced training with MTAs, and more. When SORT attends scenes within their scope of view, for example, shots fired scenes, it can be a Static Scene or Dynamic Scene, so SORT will always be making DRAs (Dynamic Risk Assessments).

Requirements to apply for SORT

- Must be an active member of HART and must be trained in all packages; Water Rescue, Working at heights and Urban Search And Rescue.

Callouts to expect as SORT

CBRNe Incidents, Marauding Terrorist Attacks (MTA), Ballistic Incidents This includes static scenes and dynamic scenes.

SORT Teams work alongside FRU and EOD to establish hot, warm and cold zones; these are used to coordinate based on risk and PPE required for specific zones. When entering a hot zone, SORT Paramedics provide initial treatment but to an extent and use methods such as scoop and go to avoid further deterioration.

SORT are specially trained in decontamination when it comes to chemical and biohazard scenes. When exiting a danger zone, a hot zone decontamination process is a must. Some people phrase it as the “water down” process as this involves firefighters using hoses to water down personnel. CBRN(e) – Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives Working within the inner cordon on incidents which may contain chemicals for example: Chlorine Gas, Biological Incidents, Nuclear and explosives. MTA – Marauding Terrorist Attack - Working within the Inner Cordon of a Marauding Terrorist Attack where there might be active shots fired, HART can retrieve and extract patients, and pass patients over to LAS (Clinical) once extracted.

When HART is open, you will find out in #open-applications via our discord server. You can click here to check and apply for HART Team.