Training with HEMS

Tuesday evening was spent on the Cliffs at Old Harry practicing Rope Rescue and Joint Emergency services working. This week we were joined by Critical Care Paramedics and Doctors from Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. This gave us the opportunity to show them our Rope Rescue Capabilities and to explain how our systems work and how, during an incident, we can deploy them to the bottom of the cliff on our Rope Rescue systems in an Accompanied Decent .

..this enables us to take untrained people over the cliff to the scene of an incident where they can provide potential life saving treatment.  It was a really enjoyable evening  training with the helicopter emergency medical service ( HEMS) where we discussed working together and different scenarios. 

Assisting Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance

 

 

 

 

Team members spotted our colleagues from the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance coming into Swanage this morning so deployed to assist.

A diver on the pier had been taken ill and with a possible diving related illness, so  the male was to be flown to the decompression chamber in Poole.

The Air Ambulance " Pegasus" is always a popular sight with the public  but landing in the middle of Prince Albert Gardens requires a clear space so the Coastguard team provided safety cover to ensure the aircraft had a safe operating area.

Due to the down wash from the rotors  the pilot requested the public to be outside the walls so we thank the public for their cooperation for a few minutes.

With the patient flown to Poole , the team liaised with the divers colleagues about the dive which the Dive doctors require for treatment.

Coastguard assist Ambulance

The team were paged on Friday evening to assist South Western Ambulance with a seriously injured male.

The Wiltshire air ambulance attended King George's playing field assisted by the Coastguard and Police.

The Coastguard team were then requested to assist at the scene of the incident before assisting the ambulance back to the landing site.




Only last week the team practised setting up a night landing site as part of a large exercise.

The value of regularly training for the volunteer team shows its value working with our partner agencies.

Rider thrown from Horse at Studland

The team were tasked to Pilots Point on Studland Beach this morning to deal with a young lady who had fallen awkwardly whilst out horse riding. 

Working with SW Ambulance paramedics, and joined by colleagues from St Albans, the team stabilised the casualty before moving her to a safer location away from the incoming tide and sheltered away from the fresh wind.

The Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance was despatched from Henstridge and duly flew the casualty to Poole Hospital.

Our thanks go to the National Trust and the Neighbourhood Police Team for their assistance and offering a 4-wheel drive capability in this remote location.

Multi Agency Incident at Peveril Point

Emergency services responded to a concern for welfare this afternoon following reports a woman had gone over the cliffs at Peveril Point.

Coastguard Rescue Officers from Swanage and St Albans were tasked along with Dorset Police Officers and the Ambulance Service.

A local woman aged in her 50's was airlifted from the cliffs by the Coastguard helicopter and taken to King George's field where she was treated by Paramedics. She sustained very serious head and chest injuries and was airlifted to Southampton General Hospital by the air ambulance.




Rescue 106 from Portland lowers a winchman to the base of cliffs in front of the National Coastwatch lookout.

We would also like to confirm that despite local social media reports the incident did not involve a child.

Coastguard Assist Air Ambulance at Agglestone Rock

This afternoon, Coastguard Rescue Officers assisted Paramedics with an incident at Agglestone Rock near Studland.

A child had sustained a back injury at the rock and due to the remote location the air ambulance was called in however finding a suitable location to land was not easy.

Safely on the ground the crew joined the paramedic in treating the child and soon had the patient on board and on route to Poole.

Location:Coastguard assist Air Ambulance at Agglestone Rock

Helicopters at Swanage

We continue this critically acclaimed feature with the most up to date shot yet - the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance taking off from Peveril Point on 21 April 2012. (..more exciting than Slipwatch!)

For those who wish to know, its a Eurocopter EC135 twin engined machine operated by Bond Helicopters. Its registration is G-DORS and its call sign Helimed One-Zero. The Air Ambulance can operate on one engine only if one should fail.

The vehicle in the foreground is our Mobile Response Unit (MRU) or Austen's truck as we call it. Its a Nissan Navara single engined machine operated by HM Coastguard. Its registration is HF53 AUS, call sign Swanage Mobile. It has a striking yellow bonnet and some nee-nahs on the roof. Sadly it cannot operate if its engine fails although it is useful to shelter behind when the helo takes off.

Burglar Alarm = Job

I ran over the station earlier as someone had set the burglar alarm off, it transpired that Nick our newest member had forgotten the code. Rather than get flustered he left the alarm to ring and got into his Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) as we had a job.

Shortly afterwards Austen turned up and we were off to Knoll Beach Studland to assist South West Ambulance with a spinal injury and ensure the air ambulance could land safely. On the way Nick put his radio comms training to good use advising Portland of our position.

On scene and the casualty was moved to the heliciopter for the short hop over to Poole Hospital; as ever our thoughts are with the casualty.

Above: Nick in Full PPE

Meanwhile Tom turned up to assist and provided an impromtu training session. Today's lesson was how to find Tom's mobile phone that he had dropped in the sand. As they set about looking I went and asked a National Trust Warden whether it had been handed in.

The warden confirmed it was a battered, knackered old thing covered in paint and well passed its sell buy date and that we should replace it.

"The Phone or Tom?" I asked.

Above: Tom reunited with phone.

Obviously not one to stop a good training session I left them to search.

Air Ambulance

Some photos from the other day from Mr T and his snazzy Iphone.

You can see why the team wear safty googles!

02 Aug: As the patrol made its way down the beach searching for the 13 year old, a member of the public requested assistance with a male suffering chest pains. First aid was given to the male and the vehicle was used to transport paramedics on to the beach until the air ambulance landed to transport the male to Poole.

Tasked: IRT + SWAST, Air Ambulance, Dorset Police
Team: I. Brown, A. Rockett, R. Curtis