Flares

On the Lifeboat blog, John has raised a very interesting blog re the future use of flares in the maritime world.

It is very true that the use of pyrotechnics in the Coastguard have been reduced and this was basically down to two things, safety and cost. On the safety front, there has been a few accidents and even we found on a few occasions that once fired they did go off in all directions! (Ask Dorset Fire & Rescue about a bush on fire on the Downs!!!!)
Cost wise they are not cheap and it was found that most of them were not used and went past their 3 or 4 year shelf life so it was a waste.

With modern technology, pagers replace maroons , and night vision equipment replacing para illuminates.

Having said all that we do still hold a small supply of para illuminates at Swanage due to the number of searches we have had in the past, these will be held until the end of their shelf life and then another decision will be made on what can be used in the future.

Regarding old flares, yes strangely the coastguard will collect out of date ones for the time being (small amounts) but this could change in the near future. If you need any flares collecting please contact a Coastguard Operations Room to arrange collection. Please DO NOT leave them on the door step of a Coastguard Station.