Definition

Noun: A small, highly mobile, and rapidly deployable unit of specially trained personnel, typically within a police force or other organization, maintained to respond immediately to emergencies or urgent situations.

Usage

The term describes a team kept in a state of readiness for rapid intervention. It emphasizes speed, mobility, and specialized training for urgent tasks.

Examples

• The flying squad was dispatched to the scene of the bank robbery within minutes of the alarm.
• A corporate flying squad of IT experts was sent to restore the network after the major outage.
• The commissioner praised the flying squad for their quick arrest of the suspects.

Advanced Usage

• "to call out the flying squad": To summon or deploy the rapid-response team.
  • The situation was so severe that they had to call out the flying squad.
• Used attributively (as a noun modifier): Describing the type or capability of a unit.
  • The city has established a flying squad unit to tackle organized crime.

Variants and Related Words

• Rapid Response Team (RRT): A more modern or general term for a similar concept.
• SWAT team (Special Weapons and Tactics): A specific type of police flying squad for high-risk operations.
• Quick Reaction Force (QRF): A military term for a similar rapidly deployable unit.

Synonyms

• Emergency team
• Rapid deployment unit
• Mobile task force
• Immediate response unit

Related Phrases

• To be on flying squad duty: To be assigned to the rapid-response team for a period.
  • Three officers are on flying squad duty this weekend.

Noun

1. a mobile group of trained people (police or executives or officials) able to move quickly in the case of emergencies