Incident response vehicles
Incident response vehicles (IRV’s) are known by a plethora of other names and very often using their acronyms.
There are ISV’s (Incident Support Vehicles), MFCV’s (Mobile Forward Command Vehicles), IRU’s (Incident Response Units), RRV’s (Rapid Response Vehicles), ICU’s (Incident Command Units) and more! Not to be out done the personnel that operate these vehicles (many of whom putting their lives at risk on a daily basis) do not escape the world of acronyms with the likes of HART’s (Hazardous Area Response Teams) to IRT’s (Incident Response Teams) and ERT’s (Emergency Response Teams) and EMT’s (Emergency Medical Teams).
Whilst full time professionals operate most incident response vehicles there are others, such as the Mountain and Lowland Search and Rescue Teams that are in the hands of highly trained volunteers, with both groups often putting themselves in harm’s way to save others and minimise serious incidents. It is for this reason that vehicle conversion companies such as Multi Vehicle Technology Ltd take great care, and pride, in the design, construction and quality of these specialised vehicles.
Incidents attended by Incident Response Vehicles.
Accidents: Road, rail, air, and waterway accidents Chemical spills: The release of dangerous chemicals, toxic gases, or radioactive substances Natural disasters: Floods, storms, and other natural disasters Crowd incidents: Incidents involving large crowds of people at events and protests Building collapses: Fires and building collapses Public health threats: Incidents that cause a large number of casualties or threaten public health and safety Hostage and Terrorist acts: Acts of violence and terrorism
In the year ended June 2024 Home Office figures show that Fire and Rescue Services (FRSs) attended just over 594,000 incidents. On a much smaller scale the most recent Mountain Rescue records available indicate an average of over 2,000 deployments of their teams within a 12-month period. Add to these two examples all the other types of incidents attended, and it is easy to understand the need for response vehicles of all types, shapes, and sizes.
Types of incident response vehicles
There is no standard design or specification that can satisfy the diverse situations in which response vehicles are required to operate which is how Multi Vehicle Technology Ltd comes into its own in that our production facility is specifically set up for the design and conversion of individual vehicles. Whilst we are large enough, and happy enough, to manage fleet conversions our strength is in our efficiency and cost-effective approach to individual vehicle projects.
Our vehicle conversions range from SUVs for first responders through panel vans for rapid responses to 3500 kgs chassis cabs and their larger 7500 kgs counterparts for command and support. We also manufacture demountable pods which are favoured by some organisations.
The vehicles we are happy to work with cover all leading manufacturers including Ford Transits, Fiat Ducatos, Mercedes Sprinters, VW Crafters, and Iveco Dailys to name but a few. Whilst we can supply the base vehicle (we do have good dealership connections) we are just as willing to work on those supplied by our clients.
The range of features that may be included within an incident response vehicle.
Here we provide an indicative list of design features and equipment that may be included in an incident response vehicle. It is most unlikely that all would be required in a single vehicle due to the variation of uses.
Exterior:
Blue / green / orange lights and siren
Roof mounted solar panels.
Tinted windows added to panel vans and chassis cabs.
Retractable mast with optical IR cameras and video with real time video sharing
Extendable side awnings
Vehicle graphics
LED lighting and messaging
External video screen for briefings
Wide doors, handrails, and access steps
Interior:
Conference table with briefing screens and white board plus video and phone conferencing
Private senior commander office facility
Workstations for PC’s, data retrieval and document printing with appropriate seating
Airwave radio and VoIP handsets
3G and 4G enhanced resilience satellite network
Mast with optical IR cameras and video with real time video sharing
Storage cupboards for stationery and consumables
Welfare facilities including toilet, handwash, refreshment equipment, fridge, and sink.
Air conditioning, heating, and ventilation
LED lighting
Dog cages
Storage for rescue, medical, first aid, warning signage and specialist equipment
ANPR
Repair and refurbishment services.
By the very nature of their role in the community incident response vehicles generally have a hard life, racing to attend incidents, often required to operate off road and subject to operating in the worse elements that nature and manmade disasters can provide so it is not surprising that they will at some time need some tender care and attention!
At MVTech we take great satisfaction in extending the life of these valuable specialised vehicles to provide a better return on their initial investment by repairing accidental damage, refurbishing them for a change in use or simply upgrading onboard equipment and technology. Even updating livery can be important.
No task presents us with too small or too large a challenge, so rather than “write off” a vehicle its always worth asking us to inspect and provide proposals for extending its working life via an upgrade or repurposing it.
Multi Vehicle Technology Ltd
Multi Vehicle Technology Ltd (or to use its acronym MVTech) is a well-established and highly regarded vehicle conversion and body building company located in Thurmaston, a district of the City of Leicester. With specialist teams of fabricators, furniture makers, electricians, and electronic expertise (and more) the Company has a wealth of experience and knowledge it is happy to pass on for the benefit of clients.
For those seeking assurances of quality throughout the build or conversion process, not to mention the quality of the product, clients can have confidence in knowing that we have ISO 9001 Certification. A proportion of our commissions are of a confidential nature which is why we also possess Cyber Essentials Certification and happy to commit to Confidentiality Agreements.
Our development team is constantly searching for the next “new thing” be it technology or materials to ensure that year on year we can deliver new generation incident response vehicles to provide those responding with the most up to date equipment available.
