Sunday 3 January 2021

Thirty Years of Service - Ian Brown BEM

In our final update of 2020, we brought you the news that our Station Officer Ian Brown has been awarded the British Empire Medal in Her Majesty the Queen's New Year's Honours List.  In this, our first blog of the New Year, we look back at Ian's thirty years as part of Swanage Coastguard.


Ian Brown BEM, Station Officer, Swanage CRT



Ian joined the Swanage Coastguard team on 07 October 1990 and a week later participated in his first cliff rescue on the 14 October 1990.

Coastguarding was rather different then; the team was summoned by maroons, watches were kept on the surrounding sea area from the lookout on Peveril Point with the team based at the Coastguard Rescue Equipment Store nearby. Lifeboats, with a few exceptions, moved at 8 knots; RN Wessex Helicopters (max speed 115knots) provided airborne search and rescue.

Ian became Deputy Station Officer in February 1998 on the retirement of Ian Surface BEM and Station Officer in July 2002 on the retirement of Dave Gough.

Change over the last 30 years has been rapid and unrelenting which Ian has embraced, supported, and led the way.

Ian has qualified as Rope Technician, Water Rescue Technician, Search Technician and Coastguard First Aid Trainer. He is also an experienced, qualified, and well-respected Officer in Charge.

Swanage in the 1990s was very much a cliff rescue team, with rescuing of climbers in locations such as Anvil Point, Boulder Ruckle, Cattle Troughs very much to the fore. Ian took part in a number of these as the Cliffman on the end of the rope.

The team also assisted in the search for missing divers from the cliff top especially in the vicinity of Anvil Point. Ian was especially proactive in building relationships with the various groups of divers with the result that education and prevention are an effective way forward.

The trend has been for cliff rescues to be less frequent, with more complex multi-agency undertakings often in adverse conditions.  Ian has proved to be a capable leader and co-ordinator in several high-profile rescues.

Search has become increasingly the dominant field of activity of the Swanage Coastguard Team with Ian being a proponent of current theory, practice and recording.  As a result, the team has a reputation for effectiveness and efficiency.  The team has faced a number of multi-day searches led and supported by Ian in difficult conditions, sustaining long searches, maintaining morale and protracted, effective effort.

Outside of Coastguarding, Ian is key member of the Swanage Community Defibrillator Partnership which oversees 35 public access defibs across the Purbeck area.  Ian’s involvement was initially driven by the death of Mike “Spike” Williamson, a much respected and long serving member of the Swanage Team.

Coastguarding today involves a high degree of accountability and the co-ordination of complex multi-agency rescues. One recently involved; Poole Lifeboat, Coastguard Helicopter, Air Ambulance, Paramedics, an ambulance, National Trust and the Swanage Coastguard Team. Ian excels in this environment.

Technology has improved: the team is now summoned by an alerting and tasking app; team members are equipped with individual vhf radio; clothing and equipment is ever improving. The human element and leadership remain ever important. Our fellow rescuers are also better equipped with a Shannon Lifeboat capable of 27 knots and the Coastguard Helicopter (AW189) with speeds up to 169 knots.

Two thousand and twenty brought with it the complications of Covid-19 to Search and Rescue. Ian once again bought a calm voice of reason to a stressful, ever-changing environment, in a busy year which has seen 206 incidents.


Ian was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to voluntary rescue in the 2021 New Year Honours List, having been previously awarded the Coastguard Auxiliary Service Long Service Medal and clasp for 30 years’ service (which has included around 1700 incidents), and a Chief Coastguard’s Commendation. 

Congratulations to Ian on this award, recognising his leadership and dedication.







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