Armed Response Vehicles (ARV's) are the British Police's solution to combating armed criminal activity. They are also sometimes used for escorting Category A (high-risk) prisoners during transfers. Their main role is to react to spontaneous incidents involving firearms. ARVs were modelled on the Instant Response Cars introduced by West Yorkshire Police in 1976, and were first introduced in London in 1991, when 132 armed deployments were made. During 1992/93 all Police forces in England and Wales introduced ARV's. The British police do not routinely carry firearms – only specially-trained Authorised Firearms Officers are authorised to do so. ARV crews are typically teams of two (or, in London, three), and patrol specific areas. ARVs are typically large high performance vehicles: saloon cars, people carriers or four wheel drives. The Volvo T5 estate is a favourite in many forces. The crew consists of a driver, responsible for getting to the scene quickly and safely, and an operator, who uses the communications systems, navigates and gathers intelligence and information about the incident en route. In London, a third observer is also carried, responsible for navigation, liaising at the scene with local police and requesting more AFOs if needed. Weapons include Glock 17s and pistols carried by all officers, and each car also carries two carbines Heckler & Koch MP5 9mm or SIG .223, in a locked gunbox. A Baton gun and a Taser for each officer are also carried.
