"Where children are orphaned through a sudden disaster, natural or man-made, Operation Orphan will do all we can to ensure these children are identified, made safe and kept safe."

This is the mandate of Operation Orphan's Crisis Response Team. The team of volunteers deploy to large-scale disasters when the affected country requests international assistance, and there is mass loss of life.

We know that during these times orphans are the most vulnerable and they need to be found and cared for quickly. Local services are often over-stretched and severely under-resourced. Sadly the trafficking world often kicks into action and some children who have lost their parents are picked up and never seen again. Our goal is to stop this from occurring by getting to the children first, thus the reason for rapid response!

The Team

The Crisis Response Team (CRT) is the most crucial part of outworking this vision. The team go into potentially dangerous and extreme situations and while we ensure full training and readiness, the nature of the role is unpredictable. With a strong, flexible team who each play to their strengths, we can achieve so much. This is why the right team is critical.

Donate - Empower our Crisis Response Team to deploy to the next disaster

As part of the official international coordinated response the team work with social services to identify and support these children. The ultimate goal is to ensure they are connected to a long term care structure and identify ways Operation Orphan can continue to support them.

The team consists of volunteer doctors, children’s nurses, paramedics, child welfare and security specialists. Every team member passes a stringent selection process and commits to continual professional and team development. We also have a growing number of volunteer specialist consultants that advise the team.

Our Crisis Response Operatives are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.

Crisis Response Team have responded to the following disasters:

Earthquake - Nepal 2015

Mudslide - Sierra Leone 2017

Hurricane Irma - Antigua and Barbuda 2017

Cyclone Idai - Zimbabwe 2019

Covid - UK 2020

Moldova/Ukraine 2022

Uganda - Mbale Floods 2022

Turkey - Earthquake - Hatay 2023

Interested in applying?

We are currently recruiting so please scroll down and apply online below or download a paper application form. Successful applicants must complete and pass a three day selection course held in the UK.

Apply Online - Please have all the information ready before starting.

Skills required - children social workers, children’s nurses, child psychologists, medical doctors, paramedics, security experts, civil engineers

Paper Application Form

Meet the Team

Brad Moore - Strategic Lead

·         Mountain Leader
·        Mountain Rescue
·         Security Risk Management Consultant (SRMC Level 5)
·         Designated Safeguarding Lead (Level 3)
·         First Aid Qualified

Dave Hearn - Operations Lead

·         Operations Lead
·        Retired Military Officer
·         Mountain Leader
·         Qualified Teacher
·         Health & Safety Expert

Alex Hayes

·         Urban Search & Rescue Specialist
·         UKISAR Team Leader (EUCPT and INSARAG trained)
·         UK Fire and Rescue experience (24 years)
·         Anaesthesia Trauma and Critical Care (ATACC) trained medic for Fire & Rescue Service

Previous experience includes nine years in search and rescue, deploying to Bosnia and Serbia following wide-scale floods in 2014, and part of the UKISAR response to Nepal following the 2015 earthquake. Deployed to Moldova with Operation Orphan in 2022 to deliver aid and humanitarian services to displaced Ukrainians following the invasion by Russia.

Andi Hayes

·        25 years as UK Police Officer, including 10 years as a detective specialising in Child Protection, Exploitation and Trafficking
·         IDICP qualified
·         MASH qualified – interviewing children following traumatic experiences
·         Public Order Medic (FPOS in high-conflict situations)
·         Safeguarding Level 4 trained
·         Confined/High Access Release trained
·         Experience in construction, including demolition and structural collapse management

Previous experience includes working with children who have undergone intense emotional and physical trauma, establishing mechanisms for supporting them as well as working with international law enforcement, social care systems, protocols, and managing offences against children. Further experience includes responding to large incidents and multiple Operation Orphan deployments to Moldova in 2022 to support refugees following Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Dr Bence Fazekas

·         Accident & Emergency Medical Doctor
·         Full GMC registration
·         General and Orthopaedic Surgeon
·         MBBS and BSc in Neuroscience
·         Multilingual: fluent in English, German, Spanish, Hungarian and Chinese.
·         Multicultural: lived long-term in Hungary, South Africa, Germany, Mexico, China and England and have also visited many other countries as well.
·         Youth work: experienced with working with children of all ages.

Previous experience includes deployment to Zimbabwe in response to Hurricane Idai.

Logan Barrett

·         High Angle Rescue Technician
·         Emergency Health Care Provider: Oxygen Administration & Airway Management
·         CBRNE Technician, Intermediate
·         Hazardous Materials Specialist
·         Operational Security Management
·         Swift Water Rescue Instructor
·         Confined Space Rescue Instructor

Previous experience of more than 10 years in various emergency response disciplines, including deployments throughout North/South America, Africa, and Europe. This includes deploying with rapid intervention teams advising government agencies in times of natural disasters and pandemics, offering critical insight regarding disaster management, life safety, emergency medical care, water filtration, and chemical contamination at disaster sites.

Steve Fletcher

·         Health, Safety, and Wellbeing Consultant
·         Mental Health First Aid Qualified
·         First Aid Qualified
·         Level 6 Diploma in Health and Safety

Previous experience with the Armed Forces, deploying as part of the United Nations peacekeepers in Bosnia and Herzegovina on two separate occasions. This involved teaching school aged children, many orphaned, on the dangers of mines in that theatre, hand in hand with the American Forces. Other voluntary deployments include Calais and Dunkirk jungles