So where were they?

Deputy Blog brought up a very important subject yesterday, who's on call.

24 hours a day 7 days a week there are always 2 people on call to attend any immediate incident called the initial response team or IRT, anyone else available that day makes up the Back up response team (BURT).

As volunteers we are not contracted to remain in Swanage or to be on call, we "offer" to be available.

Having only 13 in the team, sometimes (as last night) we really get short, we have lives and not all of us sit at home waiting for the pager.

So last night, with at least 2 of the team working night shifts, 3 out of town visiting family, 1 with flu and others with family down (parties etc) it does get tight and when that happens we ask for back up from our colleagues at St Albans, and vice verse sometimes.

All Coastguards station try their best to provide 24 hour cover, but due to the geographical location of stations, people have to go shopping or go to work further away and this at times puts a little strain on the system.

There is always a back up!