TOUGHBOOK 33 DONATION KEEPS SURREY SEARCH AND RESCUE CONNECTED

Bracknell, UK. 31^st July 2024 – Panasonic TOUGHBOOK has donated TOUGHBOOK 33 2-in-1 detachable rugged tablets to Surrey Search & Rescue (Surrey SAR), vastly increasing connectivity and operational efficiency for the voluntary specialist search team, when responding to incidents of missing people, water and flood rescue.

Surrey SAR assists Surrey Police in finding some of the most high-risk 2,100 vulnerable adults and children that go missing in Surrey every year. The team also support Surrey Fire and Rescue Service in water rescue and are also on Defra’s asset register to deploy anywhere in the UK for flood support. 

As one of the UK’s 35 lowland rescue teams, Surrey SAR is on call 24/7, 365 days a year, with a team of more than 80 volunteers and search dogs. It receives no central or local government funding and relies entirely on donations to purchase and maintain vital lifesaving equipment and technology, and to train its volunteers.

Increased flexibility where it matters

Surrey SAR’s search planning teams previously had to use personal devices or await the arrival of a vehicle equipped with a laptop to co-ordinate rescue operations. Now search team leaders can use the TOUGHBOOK 33 rugged devices to initiate a rescue from anywhere, sharing vital information with rescue teams before they arrive on the scene. 

This is where the TOUGHBOOK 33 comes into its own. Popular with mobile workers in field services, telecommunications, defence, and emergency services, the rugged TOUGHBOOK 33 features market-leading performance and connectivity. It can be utilised as a traditional notebook for on-site planning teams, or as a tablet for enhanced ease-of-use on the move during a land or water rescue.

The military-grade ruggedness and IP65*-rated water and dust capabilities of the TOUGHBOOK 33 enable Surrey SAR volunteers to use the device in any environment, without any fear of drops, knocks, and vibrations affecting operation. The teams also utilise the TOUGHBOOK 33’s hot swappable twin batteries capability, which allows them to quickly switch batteries on operations without having to turn off the device.

Charlotte Langridge, Business Manager (Public Sector), Panasonic TOUGHBOOK, said: “The work of Surrey Search and Rescue is truly humbling; we’re extremely proud to play a small role in helping its team of volunteers ensure that any missing or vulnerable individuals are found quickly. This donation of these refurbished TOUGHBOOK 33 devices extends the practical life of the products, whilst keeping Surrey SAR at the forefront of the digitisation of modern-day search and rescue.”