Fire & Rescue Resilience Support

Additional capacity when demand increases

Major Incident, Spate & Specialist Support

Major incidents and prolonged operations can commit crews and appliances for extended periods. Several incidents occurring together can place pressure on resources across a wider area.

CritiCall provides relief crews, pumping appliances and specialist vehicles to assist the teams already delivering the response. Resources can be requested individually or combined around the incident, access and duration of the assignment.

During spate conditions—periods of exceptionally high incident demand—additional crews and vehicles can undertake specific tasks while existing resources remain committed elsewhere. For prolonged incidents, the need may be crew relief, sustained water supply or access to remote working areas.

Personnel or a crewed appliance

Relief Fire Crews With or Without a Pump

Relief crews help sustain fire cover during prolonged incidents and periods of exceptional demand.

CritiCall can provide relief personnel without a pump, or crews with a pumping appliance. Personnel-only provision can suit a request where suitable vehicles and equipment are already available. A crewed pump provides an additional resource for a specified task or location.

The receiving equipment, required roles, supervision and familiarisation are discussed before deployment. For a crewed appliance, access, water supply and the intended position also matter. Handover connects the incoming crew with the teams already at work.

• Relief personnel for extended incidents
• Crews supplied with or without a pumping appliance
• Equipment familiarisation and crew handover
• Additional fire cover during peak demand

Access beyond the road

Off-Road Wildfire Vehicles

Rural fire activity can extend across ground that a conventional pumping appliance cannot readily reach.

CritiCall can provide Polaris 6x6, 4x4 off-road and Argocat 8x8 wildfire vehicles. Selection depends on the task, route, ground conditions and the personnel or equipment to be moved.

Polaris 6x6

A compact six-wheel vehicle for movement between access points and working areas. Its role and load are matched to the route and task.

4x4 Off-Road Vehicles

Four-wheel-drive resources for rural access and wildfire work along suitable routes, helping connect road-based resources with dispersed working locations.

Argocat 8x8

An eight-wheel vehicle for specialist access across difficult ground. Terrain, loading and the intended work determine its use; suitability is assessed for the site.

Discuss the vehicle configuration, personnel and equipment when requesting off-road wildfire resources. Explore wildfire support →

Sustaining the water supply

Water Carrier With Driver

A water carrier helps sustain firefighting where existing supplies need supplementing or water must be transported to the incident.

CritiCall can provide a water carrier with a driver for water movement between a suitable filling location and delivery point. This can assist extended incidents and rural fire activity where transport forms part of the water-supply plan.

Identify the filling point, delivery location, route and receiving equipment when making the request. Access and transfer arrangements are discussed so the vehicle fits the work being carried out.

• Water carrier supplied with driver
• Water movement for prolonged incidents
• Rural and wildfire water-supply assistance
• Coordination of filling and delivery points

Aerial incident observation

Drone Vehicle & Operator

An aerial view helps incident teams assess the extent of a fire, understand terrain and observe areas that are difficult to see from the ground.

CritiCall supplies a drone vehicle with an operator trained for emergency services work. The operator liaises with the incident team to identify the information needed and establish how images and observations will be shared.

The aircraft and imaging equipment are selected for the assignment. Weather, airspace and site conditions determine flight suitability, with drone activity coordinated alongside other aircraft and the wider response.

Additional resources for flooding incidents

Flood Rescue Support

Powered and non-powered rescue craft, supported by Module 3 and Module 4 trained crews, provide additional resources for flood rescue activity.

CritiCall can provide craft and personnel to assist the teams managing a flooding incident. The combination is selected around the water conditions, access, launch locations and the rescue task, with crew roles and equipment confirmed for the assignment.

Powered craft can assist movement across suitable flooded areas, while non-powered craft offer an alternative where the task and conditions call for it. The receiving incident team and CritiCall establish the working area, communications and handover before crews begin their task.

• Powered flood rescue craft
• Non-powered flood rescue craft
• Module 3 and Module 4 trained crews
• Integration with the existing incident response

Working with your incident team

How to Request Urgent Mobilisation

1. Call +44 7453 337857. Give your name, role, organisation and callback number, incident reference, exact location, known hazards, requested resources, urgency, rendezvous point and incident commander or tasking contact. Explain which statutory services are involved.
2. Share incident information. Provide an M/ETHANE report where available: major incident status, exact location, type of incident, hazards, access, casualty numbers and emergency services. Mark unknown information clearly and send updates as conditions change. Do not delay the initial call while gathering a complete report.
3. Review the offer and terms. CritiCall assesses availability and suitability, then provides the mobilisation offer or rate confirmation and service terms. Scope, charges, response arrangements and any expenditure limit must be agreed.
4. Authorise from an official organisational email. An officer with actual delegated purchasing authority must email [email protected], confirming the task, resources, duration, billing details, agreed charges, expenditure cap and express acceptance of the identified offer and terms. The PDF includes the required authorisation template.
5. Wait for CritiCall's written acceptance. Deployment is confirmed only when CritiCall replies in writing accepting the instruction and confirming resources, scope, charges, response arrangements and a mobilisation reference.

If requesting a blue-light response, state “Blue-light response requested” in the official authorisation email and explain the urgency. CritiCall and its drivers determine whether the response is lawful and safe; a client request does not confer road-traffic exemptions.

This is a resource-request contact, not a substitute for 999 or 112. Website forms and routine email are not emergency dispatch channels. The telephone line is not guaranteed to be continuously staffed, and calling or sending an authorisation email alone does not confirm deployment.

These terms apply only when supplied and expressly accepted as part of the mobilisation agreement. CritiCall remains an independent provider working within the responsible organisation's incident arrangements.