Cliff Tech Training Weekend

This weekend saw the SCOO (Senior Coastal Operations Officer) or Allan as we call him,  organise a Cliff Technician Weekend.

A full weekend of cliff training the technicians - the ones that go over the cliff! Some were re-qualifying, some qualifying for the first time. We also had John Evans from St Albans - as guest trainer.

Saturday saw Coastguards from Southborne, Swanage and St Albans (Poole are a mud team - not cliff) all meeting at the Dorset Fire and Rescue Fire Station at Holes Bay. The day basically involved refreshing and learning skills on a vertical tower while getting wet. Very wet indeed. If it rains we roughly toughly coastguards just carry on - while the fire service chaps watch on and laugh from the comfort of there warm and dry restroom.

But to start we were diverted to McDonalds for a breakfast.

...and then to the tower to get soaked.

Soaked. 

Once suitably wet....we started training.

Vertical 

Kerry taking the stretcher over.

More photos of Saturday here.


Sunday saw better weather and we popped over to St Albans to get their kit all wet and muddy!

Allan offering words of advice

Kerry and Nick on the face

Kerry has only been in the Coastguard a year or so, but as a Climbing Instructor she was thrown over the cliff to get her Tech qualification at the first opportunity.

Marc from Southborne celebrated his new Cliff Tech status by eating a whole tub of Heroes ;-) 

(The winch hiding behind him was used to pull him back up the cliff as he was full of chocolate)

Big thanks to Allan and everyone for a really fantastic weekend worth of training - special thanks to John Evans from St Albans who gave two days of his time to assist. Apologies to St Albans for nicking some of your kit ...we'll drop it back to your station this week.

Weather Warning

For most of this week there is a "Be Aware" weather warning in place.

Mostly of heavy rain.

Honouring those who served on D Day

In September I was invited to a special event on the Swanage Railway to honour some Swanage Residents who served on the beaches of Normandy on D Day.




Our friend Clifford Brown and I being introduced to Her Majesty's Lord Lieutenant for Dorset, Angus Campbell.




Some true hero's ........Photos courtesy of Andrew PM Wright.

Supporting the Royal British Legion

We were challenged by our HQ to produce a selfie of us at our Remembrance Parade this year in support of The Royal British Legion




And this is the result from HQ

We Shall Remember Them

Today, along with the nation, we shall remember those fallen in conflicts around the world.

Many were Coastguards who served on Royal Navy Ships.

Technicians Training

If you were passing the Poole Fire Station today, you may have seen something slightly different on the fire training tower...... A group of Coastguards !

Our colleagues from Dorset Fire and Rescue Service kindly allowed us to use their tower. The tower allows us to work in a slightly safer environment and in a control manner that you don't always get on a cliff.




The weather was not kind with heavy rain at times - this didn't put us off.




Kerry standing on a window sill - whilst a little different from a cliff, the concrete lip and windows are similar to the over hangs we often find ourselves in when on the cliffs.

The day and whole weekend is about furthering our cliff skills.




Gareth about to descend with the cliff stretcher, not easy with railing but adds to the skill required.

More photos during the week - Thankfully no one caught the Station Officer having a go !

Special thanks to the Poole Fire Station crew for looking after us today - the coffee was fab after the rain.

999 call from Anvil Point sparks search

Just before midnight the team were called to the emergency 999 phone at Anvil Point.

A call had been received from the phone by the Coastguard and there was concern someone was in trouble.

The team arrived in difficult weather conditions to find the line on the phone dead however a search was conducted to see if any person or persons required assistance.

With no further information or anyone found the team returned to station.

Flood Warning

This Flood Alert affects the whole of the East Coast of Dorset particularly at Weymouth, Preston Beach and Swanage and will remain in force for two hours following the times and dates of high tide.

The time and date of the forecast high waters for which this Flood Alert is in force are : 19:00 pm on 06/11/2014 and 08:00 am on 07/11/2014. The forecast wind direction are South and West. The forecast wind strengths are Force 7.




High tide at Swanage Tonight

Proud to be worn

Coastguards in flare search

Coastguards from Swanage, St Albans and Kimmeridge joined Poole Lifeboat and Rescue 106 from Portland in a search near to the Wareham channel.

The search was started after several flares were seen triggering a major response.

Units searched the area for nearly two hours but found nothing.