The Major Incident Response Team (MIRT) provides confidential, compassionate support to people affected by traumatic or distressing events in North Yorkshire and York. You do not need to have been directly involved in an incident to ask for help - support is available for witnesses, relatives, and anyone struggling with the emotional impact of what has happened.

MIRT is part of the wider work of the York and North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which helps communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies.

When to contact MIRT

You can contact MIRT if you have experienced a traumatic event and feel you would benefit from emotional support. This may include:

• road traffic collisions
• sudden or unexpected deaths
• serious incidents in the community
• fires, floods, or other emergencies
• incidents involving violence or crime
• situations where you have witnessed something distressing

It is completely normal to feel overwhelmed, anxious, numb, angry, or unsure how to cope after a traumatic experience. MIRT volunteers are trained to help you make sense of these feelings and find a way forward.

How MIRT can help

MIRT offers flexible, person centred support at a pace that feels right for you. This may include:

• emotional support for individuals, families, witnesses, and responders
• face to face conversations in a safe, confidential setting
• telephone support if you prefer to talk from home
• support for those bereaved or affected by suicide
• assistance following murder or manslaughter
• group emotional debriefing after shared traumatic events
• support in evacuation, rest, or reception centres during major incidents

MIRT volunteers are trained in psychological first aid, trauma informed care, and bereavement support. They work closely with the Resilience and Emergencies Unit and other agencies to make sure you receive the right help.

Support for children and families

Children and young people may also struggle after a distressing event, even if they find it hard to express their feelings. MIRT can offer guidance to parents and carers on how to support them, including ways to help children talk, draw, or play through their emotions.

How to contact MIRT

If you need support, you can contact the Major Incident Response Team directly.

Telephone: 07974 745 194 - open 24 hours
Email: MIRT@northyorks.gov.uk 

All support is confidential. You can get in touch for yourself or on behalf of someone else.

If you need urgent help

If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999.

If you need to speak to someone urgently about how you are feeling, you can contact:

• Samaritans: 116 123 - free, open 24 hours, seven days a week
• Cruse Bereavement Support: 0808 808 1677
• Winston’s Wish (support for grieving children): 08088 020 021
• Brake (road crash victims): 0808 800 0401

If you have been affected by a traumatic event, you do not have to cope alone. MIRT is here to listen, support, and help you take the next steps at a pace that feels right for you.