Major Incident Response Team

The Major Incident Response Team (MIRT) is part of North Yorkshire Council and the City of York Council’s 24-hour emergency response service (linked to the North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum), normally 'called out' by the emergency services or council emergency planning units.

MIRT provides a confidential and non-intrusive support service to anyone caught up in an incident or event that is outside of 'normal' life.

The team is made up of volunteer professionals from a range of different backgrounds, such as:

• social care
• health
• the voluntary sector
• public sector

Role of the Major Incident Response Team

The Major Incident Response Team:

• offers practical and emotional support
• responds to the needs of anyone who finds themselves caught up in traumatic or life-changing incidents

In order to carry out this work effectively and safely, all team members are committed to an ongoing training programme, including 'critical incident stress debriefing'.

Services provided by the Major Incident Response Team

The MIRT works closely with statutory and voluntary agencies, providing the following services:

• managing and coordinating evacuation centres, for example, rest/reception/survivor or family and friends, the latter in collaboration with Police
• immediate practical support
• emotional support
• telephone support
• support for friends and relatives at reception centres
• support to the Police Casualty Bureau
• duty at a temporary mortuary
• post-incident support to victims and relatives
• support to Incident Response staff
• support for Emergency Services personnel responding to an incident
• support when dealing with media interest

For further information, and if you're interested in volunteering with the MIRT, contact our Emergency Planning Team, or email mirt@northyorks.gov.uk.

Also see

• Current emergency situations
• City centre evacuation plan
• Emergency plans for flooding
• Major emergencies
• Business continuity
• York Flood Alleviation Scheme (FAS)