If you were faced with a situation where you could save someone’s life, what would you be able to do?
Scimitar have recently teamed up with RescueFit, who bring members of the public and emergency services together to protect and maintain each other’s health and wellbeing. We spoke to Director Brad Wheeler to find out how RescueFit works and what he hopes to achieve in what is a very important part of day-to-day life…
Why does RescueFit® operate?
Emergency services and members of the public within local communities share a vital link. Both should be supported and appreciated. The ethos behind RescueFit® is that by bringing these two teams together, local communities alongside their vital services can work to protect and maintain each other’s health & wellbeing.
RescueFit®’s primary goal is to help facilitate the sharing of knowledge, the encouragement to understand and the promotion of respect between each other. This is team #rescuenation.
“I’ve thought long and hard about how RescueFit® can reach as many people as possible and for what reason. I can’t see a better reason to spread the goodwill and knowledge we offer other than to improve everyone’s health and well-being.
As someone that is part of both the emergency services and a local community, I have seen a way to engage us all to work towards the goal of bringing these two great demographics together so we can collectively progress our ambitions.”
How does RescueFit® operate?
RescueFit® does this by closing the gap between country and community, by creating a feeling of togetherness and by setting a goal of collective improvement. This starts by including each other in our thoughts and conversations, by taking each other’s advice and guidance, and by applying our new understanding to our daily lives.
The intention is to build multiple neighbourhoods of both public and serving individuals that replicate the strong bond of working in a frontline service. With this comes the appreciation to be physically fit, mentally resilient, and consistently strive for progression in all areas.
“With first-hand experience of how to improve physical fitness and wellbeing using emergency service equipment, techniques and philosophies and the background in sports studies and outdoor education, I have seen a unique way to increase participation that’s dynamic and enjoyable. The community approach to improvement starts by helping those around us, and this is already happening at every emergency service station across the country and likely the world.
Countless charity and local events are supported by blue light responders, and this is the perfect way to enable them to spread their own knowledge and guidance. I hope under this connection principle that RescueFit® can help build a more robust understanding between both parties for the benefit of everyone.”
What do you offer people?
The company hopes to offer people a way to connect, not just with the services that are vital to their protection, but to other people that have similar interests and ideas. As a focal point in any local community, blue light responders have a big responsibility and are held in high regard and that’s why RescueFit® can provide those in service a way to connect with members of the public.
RescueFit® offers digital and in-person services to help facilitate our mission. This includes fitness bootcamps, personal training, eBooks and online coaching. Anyone can become part of the team no matter what their background, age or ability. Clothing garments such as the Scimitar Technical Training T-Shirt and other branded items like morale patches can be purchased by all supporters.
”In terms of commercial products we actually started very small, just offering some logo merchandise that supported the idea of the brand and what we intended to eventually create. Now we have the beginnings of a range of clothing, fitness equipment, merchandise, digital products, training packages and even consultancy services in the pipeline.
On a larger scale it’s my dream to build something we can all be part of, a team, a ‘rescuenation’ collective; full of individuality and multiple service experience that can be brought together in one place and shared. The fundamental projects I work on daily are outdoor bootcamps and physical training sessions for in-person participation but digital resources are also providing a client base to engage with.”
How & why was RescueFit® set up?
The company was set up in 2022 by founder Brad Wheeler who is a serving Paramedic with the Hazardous Area Response Team in the East of England. His background as an outdoor activity instructor and emergency medicine practitioner merged to create the idea behind RescueFit®, a way for everyone, including the public, to take part in training and development in the style of blue light services.
The company, and brand that represents it, has from the outset been created to include as many people as possible which is why its logo, name and vision has included an emergency service theme. Everyone, although we hope not, may one day require the help of blue light service to rescue them and we hope to encompass as many of these skillsets as possible into our products.
“It was while on duty, and helping to facilitate physical fitness assessments, that I began to see the idea of RescueFit® forming as an opportunity. The multiple benefits emerging from the participation of physical training supported by emergency service equipment and techniques produced a unique way of taking part that I believed not only helped the service staff but could be transferred to members of the public.
It was here that I began my quest to shape RescueFit® into a commercial venture with the goal of improving the connection between those involved. I knew it was important to have a visual representation of the brand, and the way I chose to do this was with the chevron design that features on our logo.
When you see those colours, and those lines on a vehicle, you know those who are up ahead are there for the benefit of others travelling to something important. The Scimitar T-Shirt has really helped to bring our logo into the digital and physical world.”
Who is RescueFit®’s demographic?
The customers that RescueFit® UK LTD sees visit an in-person service or purchases products from the online store are primarily individuals that are in-service or have links/interests to emergency services however as per our mission statement we hope to reach the wider public with our message. There is much room in the #rescuenation team for anyone that shares the values and ethics RescueFit® as a whole is based on.
The ‘RescueFit® Technical Training T-Shirt’ from Scimitar has been purchased by a range of adult ages from 21-55, both male and female, and the next generation to be welcomed to the team is the 4-7 & 8-12 ranges with the anticipation of a kids club heading to Essex in the Summer of 2023. Here RescueFit® hopes to run child friendly fitness sessions with the added introduction of first aid principles and what to do in an emergency situation.
“I really mean it when I say that RescueFit® is for everyone. It’s so important for me and the brand that we are fully inclusive to all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. There should be no stopping anyone that wishes to join team #rescuenation.
Members of the public are fully welcome to come and join in as are those already serving. Our in-person products at the moment are especially appealing to adults who are able to come and take part as an individual in the team dynamic of group fitness session, they offer a unique ability to keep everyone engaged and excited to workout. ”
Why does RescueFit® use Scimitar?
The clients and customers, as well as the supporters and followers, of the RescueFit® brand deserve the very best quality products that suit the situations they will be used in which is why working with Scimitar Custom is the perfect partnership.
The flagship garment which features in much of the company’s creative content is the ‘RescueFit® Technical Training T-Shirt’ from Scimitar Sports. For this design Scimitar Custom had the ability to provide exactly what would be demanded by the RescueFit® team.
A requirement for a sustainability, durability, and performance. All of which are covered using their recycled polyester material on a garment that is stylish and comfortable to wear while physically training to the limit.
The sessions run by RescueFit® and the vision behind its goals has always led to a priority of physical activity and mental wellness. The kit created and manufactured by Scimitar allows operatives to perform without boundaries thanks to the smooth fabric and flexible construction.
It goes without saying that RescueFit® also wants its patrons look great while representing the brand, another reason the Scimitar Custom operation works so well with the brand is that full customisation and design control was handed over for the emergency service theme to shine through.
The RescueFit® flagship garment is unmissable with its prominent and contrasting logos, ‘high-vis’ chevron mesh side panels, and its double reflective stripes on both flanks.
From the beginning Scimitar has supported the RescueFit® vision and objectives while guiding the small business team through the initial stages of development and into the wider word of product delivery for its community. The design & development stage of the garments production was a simple and straightforward venture with happy to help input from Scimitar staff and design supporters.
The finished items are a testament to the professionalism and production quality of Scimitar team and RescueFit® is now in a strong position to move forward with its business plan thanks to having such a unique and bold garment for its staff and clients to wear.
“The first time I saw a Scimitar garment was as I was taking part in the Nuclear Races obstacle event here in Essex, as well as it being a fantastic day, I noted that the T-shirt you get as part of participating was unusually stylish. It was made from polyester which I had previously known to be a great material for training in, it also felt really slick and comfortable to wear while running. Since that day, after noting on the tag that it was a Scimitar production, I knew who I would be going to first as a potential provider for a RescueFit branded garment.
It was imperative when I started looking at creating a T-shirt design that it was made from Polyester, I was glad to find that Scimitar use 100% recycled material to do this. I just prefer the overall performance of a polyester T-shirt while training as it helps to wick away sweat and is more durable than cotton. Second, the design had to be bold and ‘on brand’ for RescueFit®.
Thanks to the fully customisable printing design from scimitar custom, we were able to create a vibrant and fashionable training look for the Technical Training T-Shirt. The addition this year of the reflective strips further encompasses RescueFit®’s branding and emergency service background.
All of the customers and friends that have a RescueFit® T-shirt have complemented the design and the fabric used. I am so proud we have created something that is valued as an item to train in and I often see them in social media pictures being used while running, working out or representing the community as an undergarment while on duty.”
What are RescueFit®’s goals?
The company believes that everything it does should work towards improving the connection between emergency services and the local communities. This includes individual fitness and wellbeing objectives from both parties and the collective improvement of the relationships they share.
In the near future RescueFit® will begin a second chapter of innovation with its intention to run children’s engagement events in local communities that work towards increasing physical participation and activity while also helping to guide wellbeing practices from an early age.
These will run similar the adult bootcamp style session in town parks and green spaces to accompany its other physical training services. The continued release of a training T-shirt every year is something the company hopes to take part in for the foreseeable future, with the hope that it becomes a regular occurrence and even an event in its own right.
The Director and supporters hope the work RescueFit® does can be shared and spread across the country by reaching out to people in similar situations that also want to join team #rescuenation and fly the RescueFit® flag.
“There are so many directions that I would like to take RescueFit® but for now we are really happy we have a brand and design theme to use as a template for our mission. The garment Scimitar produced for us that is now our flagship clothing item is perfect to use as a figurehead in all our content and visuals.
In the future I hope that we have client demand for more clothing ranges and our engagement projects for children add to the number of satisfied customers and RescueFit® operatives in team #rescuenation”
Thank you so much to the team at Scimitar for helping us move forward in such a vibrant and stylish way, it was a pleasure to work with Izzy and Charlotte and I look forward to contacting them regarding the next order.”
