Volunteering to help in emergencies

Find out about the emergency volunteer partnership BLEVEC

Find out about:

What is BLEVEC?

The Bedfordshire Local Emergency Volunteers Executive Committee (BLEVEC) brings together voluntary and community organisations with emergency services and other responder agencies through the Bedfordshire Local Resilience Forum (BLRF).

BLEVEC members work in a coordinated and managed way to support planning for, responding to, and recovering from emergencies across Bedfordshire.

What support can BLEVEC provide in an emergency?

BLEVEC partners provide a wide range of capabilities to support statutory responders in emergencies. Some organisations offer broad support, while others provide specialist expertise. Here is a simple A-Z of BLEVEC capabilities. The list is not exhaustive:

A

  • Advice services
  • Aircraft and pilots (transport and aerial imaging)
  • Animal welfare
  • Appeal fund management
  • Assistance centre support

B

  • Bereavement services
  • Boat search and rescue teams

C

  • Cave search and rescue teams
  • Childcare and support
  • Clean-up support
  • Collecting and delivery of medications
  • Command, control and coordination
  • Community emergency hub support

D

  • Door knocking and leaflet distribution
  • Drones and licensed pilots

E

  • Emergency accommodation
  • Emergency cash provision

F

  • Faith advice and support
  • Fire-fighting support
  • First aid
  • Food and refreshments
  • Food shopping and delivery

H

  • Helplines

I

  • Impact assessment

L

  • Liaison and communications services
  • Logistics management

M

  • Mental health support
  • Mountain search and rescue teams

P

  • People transportation (including to medical appointments)
  • Physical donation management
  • Practical and emotional support

S

  • Search dogs
  • Specialist equipment (e.g. radios, satellite phones, generators, lighting, shelters, medical kits)
  • Specialist vehicles (4x4s, control units, medical vehicles, minibuses, motorbikes)
  • Spontaneous volunteers management
  • Swift water search and rescue

T

  • Transport of critical staff and supplies

U

  • Underwater search and rescue (including dive teams)
  • Urban search and rescue (collapsed structures)

V

  • Volunteers (additional workforce support)

W

  • Warning and informing (community communications)
  • Welfare checks

What is the role of a BLEVEC Commander?

BLEVEC Commanders represent voluntary and community organisations during an emergency. They make sure that volunteer support is well coordinated and aligned with the overall response led by emergency services and partner agencies.

They act as a link between the BLEVEC partnership and emergency response teams, ensuring that:

  • volunteer resources are used effectively
  • the needs of communities are understood
  • the experiences and insights of volunteers help inform decisions

Where do BLEVEC Commanders work?

During an emergency, BLEVEC Commanders may be involved in key coordination groups, including:

  • Strategic Coordination Group (SCG) – sets the overall direction and strategy for the response
  • Tactical Coordination Group (TCG) – manages how the response is delivered
  • Forward Control Point (FCP) – coordinates activity at the scene
  • Recovery Coordination Group (RCG) – leads the recovery phase after the incident

They may also support other meetings or be deployed to different locations to provide advice and ensure voluntary sector support is fully integrated into the response.

Why are BLEVEC Commanders important?

BLEVEC Commanders help make sure that:

  • communities receive the right support at the right time
  • volunteer efforts are coordinated and effective
  • decision-makers understand what is happening on the ground

Interested in becoming a BLEVEC Commander?

If you think you have the skills and experience to take on this role, we’d love to hear from you.

Email: blrf@bedsfire.gov.uk to arrange an initial discussion.

How to request assistance from BLEVEC

Each organisation within BLEVEC has its own 24/7 call-out arrangements. However, BLEVEC also provides emergency response organisations with access to a 24/7 Duty Officer.

This means that if you are unsure which organisation to contact for support, the BLEVEC Duty Officer can help. They have a strong understanding of all BLEVEC members and their capabilities, and can quickly identify and coordinate the most appropriate support for your needs.

The Duty Officer works closely with BLEVEC partners to ensure requests are directed to the right organisation as efficiently as possible.

Please note:

  • the BLEVEC Duty Officer role is staffed by trained volunteers
  • the Duty Officer contact number is not publicly available and is only shared with authorised emergency response organisations

How can your organisation become a member of BLEVEC?

If your organisation has the skills, capacity, and commitment to support communities before, during, or after an emergency, you may be eligible to join BLEVEC.

We welcome interest from voluntary and community organisations that can offer practical or specialist support as part of a coordinated emergency response.

If you would like to find out more about becoming a member, please contact us to arrange an initial conversation: blrf@bedsfire.gov.uk.