Training at Night

Our training continues and this week we headed up to Anvil Point for a night exercise.

 During the day , the area looks very different.  This is a popular climbing area and not always straight forward for us to set up.

 Working at night adds in the need for lighting and the correct clothing.

 Working a distance from the cliff edge and ensuring the lines don't get snagged on the sharp rocks.

We continue to train and test out different types of rescue, just in case we are needed.

In a coastal emergency , dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

Cliff Training with a Difference

The big difference with Thursday's cliff training (or rope rescue training, to give it its proper name) is that there were no cliffs!

Instead, we used out first 'rope' session for a few weeks to run through some of the basics in a sterile environment on the grassy area next to the station - at least, it was sterile after we'd taken the precautionary inspection with a torch, shovel and doggy bag. Grrr!!!

Headquarters have provided us with some new kit recently, and so we used the opportunity to do a full cliff set up on a flat piece of land and try out the new items for the first time before we take them to the cliff top.

Main line and Safety Line Operators in position.  

It also gave us the opportunity to try different people in different roles and for us to introduce our newest team member to rope 'awareness' for the first time. (Rope Awareness is actually one of the achievement levels that someone needs to have reached before being part of a rope operation.  After that comes Rope Rescue Operator and Rope Rescue Technician. There's also a requirement for an Officer In Charge as part of the rope team, but I digress, and maybe more of that another time).

Rope Technician and two Edge Safety Officers

The whole operation was performed under floodlights, which adds another dimension, and we practised two methods of recovery - the petrol winch and the Z-Drag, a basic 2:1 gearing system for hand hauling. Again, more about our different recovery options in another blog!

The orange 'stake linking straps' in the foreground have replaced the previous system of using rope lashings. The Z-Drag recovery system is in use on the far side.

After a quick cup of tea (it was a chilly night!) all the kit was checked, repacked and stowed in the vehicle ready for service.

The Technician's view - normally the view is of a pair of ropes going vertically up the cliff to the quadpod, rather than along the flat

First Aid Training

Some shots from our training earlier in the week. 
Rob, the Weymouth area SCOO, is fitting a collar to Duncan whilst Eric seems slightly reluctant to lay down to be put into the recovery position. Perhaps he has seen the fate of the dummy lying on the ground next to him.

Cliff (Rope Rescue) Training

The team were up bright and early yesterday for some cliff training - or more correctly 'rope rescue' training on the Downs.

First jobs: get everybody there, get the kit there and unloaded
 

Kerry was the first cliff technician to 'go over'.....
 



...followed by Nick who never misses a good photo opportunity...

...followed by Brian who took the dog bag in order to recover an imaginary Rottweiler.  He brought back some rocks instead.
 

Recovery of the techs was by 'tugger', a block and tackle device with a nominal 5:1 gearing (remember your 'O' level physics!)
 

Ian ran the session - well, he did have his smart uniform on! We'll make sure he goes over next time.

 

The cliff face was very loose and crumbly at the bottom.....
 

....with evidence of a recent cliff fall.

Show and Tell

Swanage Main Beach will be patrolled by RNLI Beach Lifeguards from Saturday, operating from 10.00am to 6.00pm, 7 days a week through the summer covering from the Mowlem Stream as far as Ocean Bay.

The lifeguards popped in today for a chat about the work we do, to understand our competencies and to look at the types of incidents where we might find ourselves working together.

We took the opportunity to show the lifeguards some of our kit, and let them try it out so that whenever we are pitched together in an incident, it won't be unfamiliar to them.

First, an explanation about the stretcher and how the straps tighten.....

 

then lift.....

 

...and away!

 

 

Half Way

This is the view our cliff technician got when we trained at the highest point of Ballard earlier in the week.

This is about half way down. Or up, whichever way you look at it.

Swanage, St Albans and Poole join for training

Last nights exercise saw three teams join up to practise cliff work on our highest cliff which is Ballard.




The Poole team discover cows ( don't have them over the water !)



Under the watchful eye of St Albans Alpha


Terry putting his training the other day into good use.




Then it was all back to the station as someone else had a birthday !

We don't just volunteer at the weekend

Being volunteers we have to work around our day jobs and of course home life.

So yesterday a few of the team got together for a mornings training session rather than the usual evening training we have.




Kerry putting Terry through some rope training.

Thankfully there were benefits to the day time training session

Training with the Lifeboat Crew

The main point of last nights training was to share equipment and see how we could transfer casualties from the shore to the lifeboat.




Nick on the radio


Seeing if the Coastguard stretcher fits in the lifeboat - that worked


Lifting the stretcher from the Inshore lifeboat to the all weather lifeboat.


Tom sat watching Eastenders - well that's what we told him




Nick discovers what happens when you break something on Dave's new boat. Hopefully he will let out next week.

Show and tell with the Swanage Lifeboat Crew

For tonight's training we linked up with the crew of the Swanage Lifeboats and got a chance to see their new Shannon Lifeboat.




Kerry , Brian and Eric get a brief on the Inshore Lifeboat .


The Shannon arrives.


Kerry takes command.


Dave the new Coxswain explains the workings of the new boat to Brian , Eric and Roger.

Our thanks to the crew tonight a very useful training session , more photos tomorrow.

Exercise OXO

Tonight the team headed out for a search exercise in the Durlston area.

First a briefing from the officer in charge.




There were several objects to find in the wooded area at Durlston.




The woods were searched in detail with areas searched in sections.


Keeping the team in a line in a wood is quite a difficult for the officer in charge.

Out of six items , five were found and we have a feeling that one has perhaps been moved or removed between being placed out and the team arriving.

Exercise Liftout

The training continues for the team with an exercise to test locating a casualty, first aid and extracting the casualty to a safe location.


Casualty located - young man fallen out the tree with a head injury.


Team arrives, first aid being given


It's all a bit tight but the casualty is carefully strapped to the stretcher and then the long carry out.

Training pays off.

It's amazing that having trained this week on first aid and casualty handling the initial response team are requested by the police yesterday to do it for real !








The team have been practising their 1st aid skills over the last couple of months working alongside our colleagues in the other services.

After the incident yesterday those involved paused to pack up equipment ( a lot of what you can see about) . Then it was time for a quick team photo before heading back to do clean the mud off.







Multi agency working at its best.....

A few more pictures from training

" It was him , I didn't break it " - we think was what was said .


Even the Station Officer had a go.


Brian showing how to deal with the stretcher.