AN ORGANISATION set up to help civilians in the second world war is now part of the frontline response to civil emergencies thanks to the war on terrorism.

On a visit to Perth Royal Infirmary, WRVS regional operations manager Stephen Rennie revealed that the terrorists who flew planes into the Twin Towers in New York, killing thousands, forced a rethink for his organisation’s emergency response teams.

The teams move in to provide emergency rest centres and feeding stations in major emergencies.

“Before September 11 our organisation was going to disband them,” said Mr Rennie.

“Now 97% of councils in this country have WRVS as part of emergency planning.

“We were heavily involved in 7/7 (the London bus and tube bombings), setting up 27 rest centres where we looked after people who couldn’t get home.”

The WRVS was originally set up 60 years ago to help civilians during the second world war when they were involved in emergency evacuations and feeding.

As the world appeared to become a safer place with the collapse of Communism and the reduction in missiles in the armoury of legitimate Governments, the need for WRVS emergency response teams appeared to have passed.

But the Twin Towers incident and the instability caused by terrorists, who have shown they can strike anywhere at any time, underlined the continuing need for WRVS emergency teams and rescued them from the brink of disbandment to become a real player in the response to modern emergencies.

The 2004 Boxing Day tsunami proved, if ever there was any doubt, death and disaster are no respecters of the festive season and can strike anywhere at any time.

Local authorities work with emergency services that include fire, police, ambulance and the NHS to plan and prepare their response to any civil emergency, and that response now actively includes the WRVS.

It was the WRVS’s Fife emergency teams that were put on stand-by to provide rest centre cover for evacuees when a Kirkcaldy tyre depot went on fire on December 10.

In an uncertain world, the WRVS teams now have a certain future.

They will be needed, they just don’t know when and they just don’t know where.

But they will be ready if someone somewhere needs their help.