Nothing Much to Report

First day back on IRT call for your Occasional Blogger today having had a few days away. Looks like the number of incidents has tailed right off lately and today was no different (perhaps the safety message is getting through??) A quiet return to duty then.

And what about Deputy Blog's weather forecasting yesterday? 24 hours of rain? It's been glorious today for those of us fortunate enough to have been in Swanage.

Rain

Well it looks like rain for the next 24 hours. (ok ok 6.32 hours!!!)We better keep watch on the Coastguard Station which despite being brand spanking new floods outside. A mixture of a natural spring in the car park which constantly runs, and the fact that when raining the whole car park sheds water to the lowest point. (i.e. outside our station). The drains are unable to cope and it all backs up.


“So what, the water’s outside”, I here you say. Well the problem is that as soon as the rescue vehicle is taken out of the door its wheels are under a foot or so of water which means no one can get in without getting both them and the rescue kit wet. Sadly the contractors and architect did not take account of our concerns which were identified at the building stage.

So we drive the vehicle 50 yards up the car park lug all the kit through the building and out the side door. Always a nightmare job in the rain, especially when dark and cold and under pressure to meet our rescue tasking.
Still it could be worse it could be winter, when the spring water outside the doors freezes it’s deadly.

Podcast

A Podcast from the MCA Website about Helicopters. (2008)

..and a wonky photo from me.

Uniform - No 1's

On the theme of uniforms, these jackets (and hats) are for "posh " or special events, like remembrance parades. Long ago Coastguard Officers wore these jackets all the time and I've seen officers standing in the water wearing them!

Rank insignia is put on the sleeves, medals on left (although in the above picture John has medals on the right which are his families medals)

Remember Remember

Just a short note to say Remember Remember the 5th, 6th and 7th November is not a chance to fire those flares that are out of date.

It is illegal to fire flares when not in distress, it could cost lives, it wastes resources.

Enjoy your fireworks but don't use flares.

Logo's

A sharped eyed reader has spotted some team members wearing different logos on their polo shirts and asked why?

Well both logos are in use, the Coastguard Crest (top) is an offical crest and is very important to team members. The MCA logo was brought in during the 1990's when HM Coastguard and two other maritime agencies merged to form the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

From 1990 all our clothing started to come in with the MCA logo on but Coastguard Rescues Officers (called Auxiliaries in those days) wanted to continue using the crest to show the search and rescue side of the agency rather than the "MCA Brand"

As time went on the Agency when on to supply polo shirts with the MCA logo on and various teams went out and purchased privately similar style polo shirts but with the Crest on and their station name on, it was sort of adopted unoffically but funny how it was copied all around the country!

So official you are meant to wear the MCA tops but its accepted team members have brought their own tops with the crest on.

Rumour has it that in time we may revert to the crest only again .....we wait and see.

Perhaps in another blog we will cover the different uniform types

Slowing Down?

You would think at this time of year things should slow down.....er no

Meetings to discuss the year and put in place actions ready for next year, paperwork that needs updating and generally networking with other organisations to ensure smooth work in the future.

In Swanage we are very good at working together, Police, Fire,Town Council, Ambulance and Lifeboat and its not till things like the chain ferry going off for a service do we realise how we do rely on each other for support.

The team are focusing on our tidy up weekend, when we are having a major autumn clean up of the station, mostly so we can find all the clothing thats been lost over the year!
There are some minor repairs to be done and a flag pole base to be done....watch this space.

Award

Earlier this year the Rotary Club in Swanage presented me with a very special award.

The certificate reads

"in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world."

Not only was this a great honour for me but also the whole team, so when the certificate arrived I asked Maggie Hardy the local Rotary Chairperson to present it at the station with the team.

So sorry for the delay in bringing this news but I had mislaid the photos!

Peace and quiet...???

Deputy Blog has gone away for a quiet week in the Lake District.

It's great to get out in the mountains away from the hustle and bussle of everyday.....ZROOOMMMM a Tornado Jet flies down the valley. Yeah thanks for that RAF chaps!

Still perhaps a quiet walk around the Thirlmere Woods looking for Red Squizzels. So we're tip toeing around so not to scare the little blighters... WHOOOP WHOOP WHOOP and we now have three Longbow Apache Attack Helicopters over the lake. Yeah thanks Army Flying chaps!

Get back to the cottage, ah peace and quiet... Nope. More WHOOOP WHOOPS from a Search and Rescue Helicopter as it buzzes the cottage. Yeah thanks Search and Rescue Chaps!

Then BEEP BEEP, it's Ian texting me to see if I have a blog........There's no escape.

Bunker Busting

As the season draws to a close we headed out on Saturday to check the route up to the remote aerial site on top of Godlingston Hill. Its ok in the day, but I bet we would have to go up there in the dark and no doubt when the weather is horrendous !

For security reasons we cant show you inside the bunker (although its obvious where it is!), but on route Tom and Rid had a little issue with a gate.

Thankfully Tom mended the gate, we found the bunker, got in but were concerned with the number of warning signs on the door regarding radiation and if you lost radio 2 briefly at 2.30 on Saturday, I did tell Tom not to press the button !