Scottish Mountain Rescue Edition 31

The Magazine of
SCOTTISH
MOUNTAIN
RESCUE
The future of Search
and Rescue in the UK
www.mountainrescuescotland.org/
Supported by
the Order of
St.John
Issue 31 May 2013
The Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland
®
All enquiries regarding letters, photographs and features for publication
should be submitted to the Editorial staff Design Editor
Any queries regarding artwork, design and layout etc should be forwarded
to the Editor Dave Cawthorn,
Tel:- 01750 32342
Mobile:- 07702 162913
email :- cawthers@btinternet.com
ALL ENQUIRIES REGARDING ADVERTISING SALES SHOULD BE DIRECTED
TO
Lesley Bryce Advertising Coordinator
lesleybryce2002@googlemail.com
Articles published in CASBAG do not necessary reflect the views of
the Editor or the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland.
We are very grateful to all contributors and Advertisers. It is not always
possible to include submitted features in the current issue. Those omitted
are always kept for future use.
MRCofS Executive Committee
CHAIRMAN Jonathon Hart
PROJECT MANAGER
Andy Rockall
VICE CHAIR
Steve Penny
SECRETARY
Scott Douglas
jhart41579@aol.com
jonathan.hart@northern.pnn.police.uk
projectmanager@mountainrescuescotland.org
p60sjp@hotmail.co.uk
Secretary@MRCofS.org
TREASURER
Moira Weatherstone
moiraweatherstone@yahoo.co.uk
MEDICAL OFFICER
Brian Tregaskis
briantregaskis@me.com
b.tregaskis@nhs.net
TRAINING OFFICER
Stuart Johnston
sj@climbmts.co.uk
EQUIPMENT OFFICERVacant
STATISTICIAN Jim Sudd
ACPOS MR Manager
Andrew Todd
ARCCK Tom Taylor
jdcmillforge@aol.com
Andrew.Todd@grampian.pnn.police.uk
tom.taylor.arcc@mosstowie.demon.co.uk
Co-opted Members
LEGAL ADVISOR
Roddy Cormack
roddy.cormack@btinternet.com
RADIO / COMMS
James Coles james.coles@webpresentations.co.uk
UKSAROPS (CWG)
James Coles j ames.coles@webpresentations.co.uk
MLTS
Graham McDonald
egmcd@btinternet.com
MRC Alfie Ingram
alfoy.ingram@btinternet.com
MC of S
Alfie Ingram
alfoy.ingram@btinternet.com
SMSF Vacant
MAGAZINE EDITOR
Dave Cawthorn
cawthers@btinternet.com
Front Cover: Conference Hypothermia Workshop. Photo Ken Keith.
The Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland (MRCofS) is a
Registered Scottish Charity – Number SC015257
editorial
TG14 The Gathering
Dear Colleagues,
Scottish Mountain Rescue have been quietly working away on the details of the conference for 2014. We will have a complete project plan and full details of the event preparations available for
you , and for distri bution to your organisations members/colleagues , for the end of August 2013.
This note is an update for you on our current preparations and is also a request for you to start the process of identifying and requesting interested parties to come up with ideas and suggestions
for subject delivery within the various tracks or themes that we will have running throughout the weekend event.
It is important that we develop our subject and workshop delivery jointly , with IMRA , Cave Rescue and MRE and W , and are keen that you have opportunities for influencing the topics to be
discussed within the subject areas listed below. We will be providing you with the names and contact details of the Track Leads over the next couple of weeks so that you have single points of
contact for each subject area.
Please distribute the date and location of the event to all your membership, as well as the event title and overall theme for the weekend. The ‘TG14’ Team will be providing more regular updates
and full details of the event as we move into the Autumn of 2013.
The event in 2014 will be titled - Mountain Rescue - 2014 - ‘The Gathering’
We will be producing a new Logo and will have a website and facebook presence where team members may book directly onto the event, choose their accommodation and book places on
workshops. However this service will not be available until later this year. We are planning on having 240 participants (plus 60 supporting/delivery staff) and may flex up to 300 participants
depending upon available budgets and interest in the event demonstrated by early bookings.
Event Summary to date
Dates:
Location:
Accommodation: Overall Conference Theme:
Conference Style:
12-14th September 2014
Aviemore, Scotland
Aviemore Highland Resort
‘Sharing best practise’
There will be considerable emphasis on workshops being delivered in the Northern Corries and for active outdoor participation from those attending the conference
Conference Track Themes :
Human Factors – To include team management and team leadership, situational awareness, team training and team development subjects, future strategic updates for and by MR organisations
Search – To include SARDA updates, dog workshops, search management and sarloc updates and helicopters
Medical – To include hypothermia, casualty care, avalanche related medical updates, latest medical best practices for the mountain environment
Water Rescue- To include bank side search, all water related topics
Technical Land Rescue – To include rigging, avalanche training, safe movement through the mountains, navigation, fitness and health, mountain bike, 4x4
We will also be producing the contact details for all the conference planning team and the various leads on different conference sub groups, and will keep our colleagues in Mountain and Cave
Rescue fully sighted on the conference as it starts to take shape.
Cheers
Jonathan
Jonathan Hart
Chair - MRCofS
The Magazine of
SCOTTISH
MOUNTAIN
RESCUE
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2013
So please;
1. Let your members know the dates , overall theme and the location of the conference
2. Start your process of thinking what subjects you may like to be discussed or involved as a workshop
3. Keep an eye on your emails as we start to develop our detailed programming of the event
The Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland
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The future of Search a
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Bristow Helicopters Ltd has been awarded the contract to deliver the UK Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopter service by the Department
for Transport. The company will take over the running of the service from April 2015 and operate until 2026. Scottish Mountain Rescue
Magazine takes a closer look at who Bristow Helicopters are and what the contract will mean for mountain rescue teams across Scotland.
A strong British heritage
Bristow Helicopters was founded in the UK in 1953 by Alan Bristow OBE and their experience in delivering helicopter Search and Rescue
services here is extensive. The company began providing SAR in the UK in 1971. The company then went on to deliver SAR services for HM
Coastguard from four bases, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Lee-on-Solent and Portland, until 2007.
In the UK alone Bristow Helicopters has flown more than 44,000 SAR operational hours and conducted over 15,000 SAR missions, during
which more than 7,000 people have been rescued by the company’s crews and helicopters. In that time Bristow Helicopters’ crews have
and Rescue in the UK
Most recently, Bristow Helicopters has been gearing up to operate the Gap SAR contract providing SAR helicopter services from bases in
Stornoway and Sumburgh. These teams are currently training from Inverness Airport and are due to move up to the SAR bases later this
month.
Managing Director of Bristow Helicopters, Mike Imlach, commented: “For us, taking over the operation of the Gap SAR and UK SAR
contracts is a return to our British heritage. Search and Rescue has been a key area of our business for many years and we’re honoured to
be providing these services in the UK once again.”
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won numerous awards including six Chief Coastguard’s Commendations awarded for bravery and exceptionally meritorious service, two
prestigious Coastguard Rescue Shields and three Edward Maisie Lewis Awards.
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A fast, efficient response
From 2016 the new SAR service will be delivered from 10 bases across the UK including four in Scotland. New facilities will be established
at Inverness, Manston, Prestwick, Caernarfon, Humberside, Newquay and St Athan while existing facilities at Lee-on-Solent and Sumburgh
will continue to be used and the base at Stornoway will be refurbished.
These locations have been strategically selected due to their proximity to areas of high SAR incident rates and will enable the teams to
respond to incidents in 85% of high and very high-risk areas within 30 minutes rather than the 70% reachable in this timeframe by the
existing service. Bristow Helicopters’ crews will provide a 24 hour a day, 365 days a year service with the ability to launch within 15 minutes
in day time and 45 minutes at night time. This will enable SAR teams to get to an incident on average faster than ever before.
Life-saving technology
Perhaps most significantly, Bristow Helicopters will be introducing a state of the art Search and Rescue fleet of Sikorsky S-92s and
AgustaWestland AW189s. The new helicopters will feature a raft of technology, some of which will be new to commercial Search and
Rescue aircraft, and will enable Bristow Helicopters to provide unprecedented SAR capabilities.
Two fully operational helicopters will be stationed at each base with S-92s
from Sumburgh and Stornoway and AW189s operating from Inverness and
Prestwick.
Bristow Helicopters has gone to great lengths to obtain the necessary International Traffic in Arms Regulations
(ITAR) export licence in order to invest in the best possible night vision goggle (NVG) technology available to the
civil market. The Generation 3 NVG image intensifier tubes are fully integrated into the cockpit and cabin.
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“In putting together our Search and Rescue service we have been able to start with a clean sheet and select the
best suited helicopters for the geographical areas we will be servicing,” Imlach said. “As mountain rescue teams
will be all too aware night vision capabilities can be useful for night time incidents, particularly in Scotland where
winter days are short and operations often continue into the hours of darkness. Our searches will be effective due
to forward-looking infrared (FLIR), thermal imaging camera technology and high illumination lighting. The new
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operating
aircraft will also benefit from long range fuel tanks to allow us to operate across the vast distances we will be servicing.”
Communicating with mountain rescue teams and others on the ground will be vastly improved thanks to an advanced external public
address system. Both helicopters types will also be fitted with Trulink® wireless capabilities for communications between the aircraft and
crew. On board, a medical intercom will also allow the cabin and cockpit to be split into isolated zones so that medical teams can work
on a patient without distracting the flight crew. Improved cabin lighting including emergency white light will enable advanced medical
procedures to be carried out, while the addition of 230 volt ac power outlets will support the sophisticated medical equipment.
The cockpit and cabin layout have been ergonomically designed to make Search and Rescue operations easier and safer. Newly placed
and additional attachment points from which the crew will hang during winching operations will make the aircraft more balanced and
make entry and exit from the cabin easier. Once in the aircraft, teams in the cabin will be able to view directional data, mapping and FLIR
imaging on 20” high definition monitors positioned behind the co-pilot’s seat. Bristow Helicopters has also designed bespoke storage in
the cabins to meet the specific requirements of the SAR crews.
The face behind the service
Bristow Helicopters’ Search and Rescue workforce is expected to comprise around 350 dedicated pilots, crew and engineers from
both the current military Search and Rescue force and Bristow’s own experienced team. A transition agreement between
the company and the Ministry of Defence will give military personnel the opportunity to transfer to the new
service and safeguard continuity of service.
“Experienced military personnel who have been conducting Search and Rescue
operations across the UK for many years will be a great asset to our teams,
ensuring that local knowledge is not lost, Imlach added.
“Our pilots and crews work closely with mountain rescue teams, Coastguard Rescue
Teams and other emergency services every day in countries where we currently deliver
SAR helicopter services. We have great respect for the fantastic work done by these teams
and are keen to include them in our training exercises as we move towards 2015 to ensure
that together we can be fully prepared to deliver this vital service to the UK public.”
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SPEC SHEET OF AW189
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2013
SPEC SHEET OF S-92
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SPEC SHEET OF S-92
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2013
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Scotland - Reflections
on a Mountain
Rescue
Colin Henderson
I thought a lot before writing this. Not because it’s embarrassing to get
rescued (it is) but because we put folk’s lives at risk to look for us and
caused others to worry because we hadn’t come home. Both of which
are inexcusable. If we have any defence, I think we did a lot right; we left
details of where we were going, we stopped when it was too dangerous
and we had plenty clothes and shelter to last a winter’s night. But we
didn’t get down safely as planned and as we couldn’t contact anyone due
to the mobile phone masts being damaged, others came out to get us.
Which is regrettable and not something I want to repeat. Writing down
what happened helps me learn from it but also gives me the opportunity
to thank publicly the people that helped us. Hopefully the additional
observations on the kit we had offers some real-life experience on the
realities of modern day ‘emergency’ gear.
continue without ropes.
The preference for both of us was to go back up and try again. But the
complex ground we had just descended would be dangerous to reverse
in the dark. Realising this, and not being comfortable on the steep slope,
we spent the last few minutes of daylight scrambling across and down to
a small ledge that was the only flat bit of ground in sight. Triangle in shape,
it measured 3m across, pitched out into the abyss and was destined to be
our home until daylight, 15 hours away, when we could take stock of our
situation and see how best to continue.
5.00pm to 12.00am
Once settled, we tried to text
home to say we were safe but
the storms that hit Scotland
the previous Thursday had
put out the local mobile
phone masts and there
was no signal. There
was nothing to do
but sit and wait,
still with the
idea of
In December 2011, a friend and I descended a steep, snow-covered
slope on a 937m (3074ft) Scottish hill (a ‘Munro’). After climbing down
through a number of steep crags, we hit a dead-end as night fell. Realising
it was too dangerous to continue or reverse our steps in the dark, we
spent the winter’s night perched on a small snow ledge before being
unceremoniously plucked from the mountain 12 hours later by a Royal Air
Force Sea King search and rescue helicopter, call-sign ‘Rescue 137’.
6.15am
It was snowing when I left my house in Edinburgh before dawn and
walked to the main road to meet Andy. Out of Edinburgh, our first
stop for the day was the Green Welly cafe at Tyndrum. It’s a cafe that proves
the premise ‘location, location, location’ and is an ideal stopping point for
those wanting to visit one of the more famous Scottish glens, Glencoe.
We were headed south of Glencoe, and west of Tyndrum, to a Munro
called Beinn Sgulaird. Only just above the Munro qualifying height of
918m (3,000ft), Beinn Sgulaird sits high above Loch Creran, just inland of
the west coast of Scotland. I’ve walked up the mountain before, in summer,
and was happy to do it again with Andy and bag it in another season.
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10.45am to 5.00pm
Beinn Sgulaird from the farm at Druimavuic is an easy walk, even in the
snow, and 2pm saw us at the south-west top and the start of the summit
ridge. The weather had closed in and a strong wind whipped clouds past
us as we picked our way along the broad, 1km-long rocky ridge. The wind
was cold enough to bite the skin and it jostled us about as we walked over
the snow-covered rock and ice on a compass bearing to reach the summit.
10
From Beinn Sgulaird’s north top, there is a known route north-west into
Glen Ure. The ground was steep and convex but easy at first and nothing
out of the ordinary. When we came upon some crags we would traverse
the top of them until we found a break and then we would either crampon
down sideways or face in and kick steps if it was steeper.
Nine times out of ten, I think we’d have found a way down. But there was
a lot of crags and a lot of traversing and this took time. Without us realising
it, the light had faded dramatically and it was almost dark when we came
to the top of a crag we couldn’t see down. Facing in, we traversed the wet
snow above it left and right, then left and right again, then right one final
time to confirm what we both realised; it was too steep and dangerous to
reversing
what we had
done
in
the
morning and walking
back to the car. The first
few hours weren’t too
bad. Andy had a foil
survival bag, marketed
as having the same
warmth as a 2-season
sleeping bag. I had a
bothy tent. We were
both sitting on our
rucksacks to insulate
us from the snow. I
was wearing a thick
synthetic duvet jacket
and Andy had a thin
insulated top on over
his fleece. It wasn’t
too cold, around
freezing, but later the wind
and rain picked up and whipped us
remorselessly, often ripping my shelter
out from underneath me and billowing
it into the sky. It was difficult to keep hold
of and it annoyed me. Andy too. He suffered stoically throughout, with
only his nose and lips visible through the mouth of his survival bag.
12.00am to 2.30am
As Andy predicted, his wife phoned the police when he didn’t return
home on time. My wife had gone to bed early so was woken at 02.30am by
two policeman knocking on the door. After they confirmed I wasn’t there
they asked for a photograph, which I’m reliably told would have been used
for body identification purposes if the need had arisen. Not being stupid
(unlike her husband, you might say), this upset her and she phoned both
her and my parents, who came down to the house.
When Lothian & Borders Police established we were overdue, they called
their counterparts in Oban. Two policewomen from Oban Police station
checked the road at the base of the hill and found our car still there. They
notified Oban Mountain Rescue, who mobilised a team and headed out to
search for us. Two runners were sent up our ascent route and the rest of the
team headed into Glen Ure where they thought we may have descended.
2.30am to 5.00am
Stiff and cold, nine and half hours after we first sat down, I glanced out
the ‘window’ of my shelter and saw blue lights in the glen below. “Andy, I
think that’s mountain rescue. This is going to be embarrassing”. We flashed
the standard SOS signal of six flashes and received three in return. Now
we knew they knew where we were, all we could do was sit and wait and
guess how they were going to reach us.
From what I gather, the Oban Mountain Rescue team leader sent a team
with ropes up the head of Glen Ure, presumably with the objective of
them reaching the summit and climbing down to us from the top. He
had also called the Royal Air Force base at Lossiemouth and at 04.30am
they reached us first. The ‘clatter-clatter-clatter’ of an Royal Air Force Sea
King helicopter reverberated around us as it thundered past on its way
up the glen. It flew back towards us, lit us up with a powerful torch beam
and slowly edged into the mountainside. Hovering above us, light’s
flashing and beeping, the pilot held his position in the clouds as a winch
operator lowered a colleague down towards us on a wire cable. Landing
on our ledge, he shouted “Are you okay?!”, pointing at me. I replied “Yes”.
He repeated the question to Andy who gave the same response. “Right,
I’m taking you first. I’ll be back for you. Stay there!” With that, he placed a
harness under my shoulders and knees and his colleague winched us into
the night air and pulled us into the warm belly of the helicopter. Quickly
detaching me, the winchman headed out again into the night sky and
within minutes Andy followed me into the helicopter. We both sat in a seat
facing the door, buckled in, as the winchman and winch operator closed
the door and the pilot (I believe there are two pilots) banked the helicopter
away from the mountain.
Thanks to…
• Oban Police - for their concern on-site and the support they
gave Andy’s and my family through the night.
• Oban Mountain Rescue - for coming out to get us, especially
after not having much sleep as it was their Christmas night out
the night before.
• RAF Lossiemouth 202 Squadron - for obvious reasons and
their professionalism and skill in flying in the mountains in poor
weather.
• Glen Ure farm - who I’m told helped the police and MRT through
the night.
• Oban hospital - for checking us out and giving us cups of hot
coffee.
• Lothian & Borders police - for alerting my wife and sending back
the picture she gave them.
Official report
Oban Mountain Rescue posted a call out report on their website - http://
www.obanmrt.co.uk/index.php/team-callouts/155-callout-2-walkerscragfast-on-ben-sgulaird-12-nov-2011.html
Lessons we learnt
• Research fully any likely descent route. There’s enough
information on the internet about the steepness of the crags and
the NW slope to have warded us off it in winter.
• Triple-check the map before descending. There’s clearly not a
lot of contour lines on the slope which should have raised flags to
us that it was overly steep.
• A route guide left with a partner or friend could be a life saver
– Andy’s wife was able to tell the police what hill we were on and
where we expected to descend. Leaving this information with my
wife too would have been better.
• Mobile phones are indispensable. Not primarily for calling
a rescue but for letting folk know you’re fine. If we could have
communicated with people there may have been different
outcome.
• Take a spare pair of socks (Beginner’s mistake. I thought I had
them).
• Consider taking a stove in winter. (A Jetboil, for example, would
make a huge difference and we could have filled it up with the
surrounding snow).
• Above all, don’t get caught out needlessly in the hills. It wastes a
lot of resources and if the weather was less kind it could have been
an awful lot worse.
Kit observations
• Bothy bag (Terra Nova) – fantastic but difficult to hold onto in
the wind. We would have both got into this but it would have
meant us leaning back into the void and neither of us fancied this.
• Survival bag (Blizzard Survival) – Andy used a Blizzard Bag
and found it to be probably as warm as they say it is (a 2-season
sleeping bag). However, he said it was too big around the chest
and the excess space inside cost him warmth.
• Survival bag (Adventure Medical Kits) – Andy kindly gave me
this halfway through the evening. I used it first wrapped around
my legs and then got into it later. The fabric seems very strong and
I noticed a difference in heat loss. I wouldn’t have wanted to use it
on its own.
• Insulated jackets - Both of us had synthetic insulated jackets
(me a Mountain Equipment Citadel, Andy a much lighter Rab
Generator smock). Down would have been warmer but I don’t
believe it would have lasted the first hour. The Citadel has 200g
of Primaloft insulation and for warmth is superb. My top half was
never cold.
• Waterproof socks - I find these great for winter walking but
when we were stopped, the sweat stayed inside them and my
feet got cold. Andy loaned me a spare pair of wool socks and I
would have changed into these if my feet got any colder.
• Pile/pertex mitts - probably great in dry weather but they got
soaking midway through the night. They ended up under my legs
to help keep them off the ground. Waterproof mitts on the other
hand were excellent.
• Neck gaiter – being able to trap warm air round your face is
quite pleasant, especially when it is your only source of heat.
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5.00am to 8.00am
The pilot flew the helicopter away from the crags, circled around and
landed at Glen Ure farm. The police met us there and ushered us into a
heated van, occupied by the Oban Mountain Rescue team leader. He
checked we were okay and one of the policewoman pressed a phone into
our hands so we could speak to our wives. Afterwards, we talked them
(mountain rescue and the police) through what had happened and how
we ended up in our predicament. To their credit, they didn’t appear critical.
When all the Mountain Rescue team were safely off the hill, the police
wanted us to get our body temperature checked. They drove us into Oban
and took us to hospital where we checked out okay. Afterwards, two other
policemen gave us a lift back to our car. When they left us, we were on
our own again, but this time in a much more comfortable situation, fully
appreciative of the fact it was with thanks to a lot of people.
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SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE November 2012
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On Friday the 22th of March 2013
the Arran mountain rescue team
were tasked by Strathclyde police
at approximately 3.30pm to
attend to a missing person on the
West coast of Arran.
Within a short matter of time
power lines had gone down –
North-South and West of the
island had become seriously
treacherous and means of getting
anywhere impossible for most.
With high winds and drifting snow
the incident turned more serious
as the day progressed and the
team were then tasked to rescue
persons trapped within their cars
at the north end of the island.
The west side of the island was cut
off completely and the following
day a number of team members
were airlifted by HMS Gannet
with medical and emergency food
supplies.
From that Friday until the
following Wednesday the team
were tasked along with Strath Pol
MRT to visit isolated communities
to ensure their well-being and
deliver food and fuel supplies.
The team assisted every day
throughout the crisis – from
initially rescuing people stranded
in their vehicles to delivering
essential
supplieshelping
farmers locate their livestock and
assisting NHS staff.
Arran mountain rescue team leader
Alan McNicol has complimented
the emergency services working
together through a very difficult
time for the island.
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2013
Arran MRT In the Thick Of It!
Report
from callout
commencing
22nd of March
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A Small Revolution:
A Leadership
Course
In April Mountain Rescue Ireland’s emergency services leadership
course took place for the fifth time. Once again a very experienced
group of participants, from the Coast Guard, Order of Malta
Ambulance Corps, Civil Defence, Mountain Rescue and An Garda
Siochana attended and found the course rewarding. Some of their
comments:
models and further emphasised the role of the fundamental
agreement between a volunteer and their unit. All of these were well
appreciated. The comments included:
‘Methods to understand and deal with personnel very useful’
‘Although role play was at first daunting, it was a great teaching
experience which incorporated a real sense of involvement, some of
the questions and scenarios very relevant’
‘The Rescuer-Victim-Persecutor triangle makes a lot of sense’,
‘The Parent-Adult-Child and translating the theory into real life
examples through role
play very effective, never did this before’,
‘Leadership styles and session on values excellent’,
‘The Task Process Relationship division all excellent makes you think’
All of this positive feedback, together with the results of the survey
which we did late last year where 60% of responding participants
‘Great material and
personal knowledge…’,
‘Very well communicated,
well paced at right level
and informative’,
‘Very worthwhile, very
thought generating on a
personal level’,
‘Excellent course, well
balanced… very thought
provoking’.
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2013
The expectations of the
participants, brought out
in our first discussions,
were very interesting.
Two main themes were
inter-agency working,
and different styles of
leadership. There are very
few places where leaders
of several emergency
services can discuss
these important topics
together. We are proud
and happy that we are
clearly achieving our aim, as a course team, to provide such a space
in Ireland and now abroad.
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Our guest speaker, Colin Murray of Howth Coast Guard unit spoke
with honesty and candour of the task of leading a volunteer unit and
of the leader’s need to show commitment to their team, to put all
into the advancement of their team. He saw leadership in articulating
high standards and norms such as the need to make exercises realistic
so that accidents are like exercises. It was striking how many times
he used the phrase ‘the job’, showing a professional commitment
to it and its ethos, while still being a volunteer. His clarity and task
orientation were a perfect starting point for the course’s exploration
of the balance between task, process and relationships.
Evaluation and self-knowledge are two of the themes running
through the course and this year’s course benefited from the
course team applying them to ourselves. We looked at the course
syllabus critically and dropped one module, but kept core modules
such as leadership values and team culture as well as our group
discussions, trademark scenarios and practical psychology from
Transactional Analysis. We made clearer our use of the Leadership
Triangle and heightened the focus on Task, added a focus on interunit Relationships and demonstrated the process of group coaching.
We added more demonstrations of the Drama Triangle and other
noted that they had made changes to their leadership style/methods
since the course, have confirmed for us that we have a valuable and
valid concept and product. We are using a life/business coaching ethos
as a foundation for a course incorporating short formal teaching, lots
of group discussions and some mild acting in scenarios based on the
concepts. Our aims include to ‘provide senior emergency service and
community leaders with appropriate leadership knowledge, skills
and self-awareness’. As mentioned above we also want to provide a
space for leaders and future leaders to have discussions.
Fundamentally however this course is about change, about showing
leaders how they might change, about us showing how relationships
between services might change, by bringing people together in a
neutral space and presenting them with information and powerful
questions. In a small but vital sense the course is revolutionary. It
not only challenges the usual evaluative method of training but
consciously brings people together outside the vertical silos of our
state and volunteer apparatus. It challenges them to consider what
kind of leaders they want to be in the company of others from different
services but with the same questions. Can we be better leaders and
create better organisations? Does bringing a better service to the
casualty require thinking outside the established norms?
This sense of deeper questioning surfaced in the group coaching
session this year where issues concerned with better inter-agency
working, governance and the structures of voluntary bodies as well
as the need for more inter-agency forums were discussed, often
passionately. There was a real sense of a need to do better for the
casualty and for the services. We have to be realistic however and
the course team realises the need to point out that the course is, at
present, only a weekend, once a year and that participants have to go
back and work with their existing structures in a realistic and positive
way.
As always the participants were generous with their feedback. The
course team’s lessons learn meeting was particularly rich this year
and we will work to further improve the course. We will provide more
time to groups to feed back at the end of their sessions especially
with regard to their discussions regarding their chosen Hero and his
or her’s attributes, values etc. This seems to have struck a real chord
for this year’s attendees and they clearly wanted more time to discuss
it. The time available in a weekend is limited however and we may
have to extend it to a third day. We have also committed to try to
further improve our material and publicity as well as setting out a
course team CPD list of training topics for ourselves.
The course team would like to thank the participants, their agencies,
our own teams and Mountain Rescue Ireland, the national body. We
also want to gratefully acknowledge the South Eastern Regional
Working Group of the Major Emergency Management process for
its financial support towards the holding of the course in Horse and
Jockey, Co. Tipperary.
Response by Participant
‘A month after the course, and I have found myself reflecting on
the learning and value of the Leadership for Voluntary Emergency
Services course run by Mountain Rescue Ireland. It struck me that
while there was plenty of relevant and interesting theory involved,
and some very practical exercises, that the real value was in the
actions and behaviours we carried away with us. The Leadership
spotlight was shone on us and this enabled us to look inside
ourselves and examine how our Leadership skills and our behaviour
can influence situations and people around us. Equally it gave an
insight into how we are often impacted by what and who is around
us. Leadership is essentially about people, understanding people,
understanding their behaviour and choosing our own behaviour
accordingly to motivate and lead with a mutually beneficial outcome.
Leadership requirements vary from person to person and situation
to situation and therefore so does Leadership. Where better to start
this process of examining leadership than with yourself, and that is
what the Leadership for Voluntary emergency Services programme
does. It is a modern look at leadership, exploring the key elements of
Leadership in the voluntary sector in a way that brings the learning
to life in a fu and meaningful way,
In addition to all that, it is a positive opportunity for developing friends
in fellow organisations, fostering a sense of shared experiences and
challenges, and is overall a very worthwhile personal development
experience . It is certainly an learning experience that makes an impact
long after the final session has ended. Thank you Mountain Rescue
Ireland for being real leaders and sharing your professionalism.
Asst Comdr Brian Coote
Asst National Director
Training & Development
Order of Malta Ambulance Corps
LYON EQUIPMENT LTD PRESS RELEASE
PETZL ELIA HELMET – Now available with MREW Logo
In response to requests from female team members the PETZL ELIA helmet is now available to mountain rescue teams in the familiar white
and reflective orange colour way pioneered on the PETZL VERTEX and ALVEO helmets.
The ELIA’s ABS shell and
polystyrene liner construction
weighs only 285g and covers
a headband size range of 52 –
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For full details on the PETZL
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marking please contact Lyon
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SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2013
The ELIA is an EN 12492 UIAA
mountaineering
helmet
specifically shaped and sized
for the female head. Unique
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which allows the helmet to be
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if the user has long hair.
work.rescue@lyon.co.uk
15
Scottish Mountain Rescue
Glenmore, Aviemore, Inverness-shire PH22 1QU
‘Volunteering to save lives’
SAR HELICOPTER SERVICE UPDATE
Author:
Jim Fraser (Kintail MRT)
Contracts History
Previous private Helicopter Contract Summary
• 1971 to 1974, 1983 to 2007: Bristow held DfT contracts at up to 4 bases.
• 2007 to 2012, extended 2013: CHC held a DfT contract at 4 bases.
• 2013 to 2017, Lee-on-Solent & Portland (Gap, south): CHC awarded DfT contract 2012.
• 2013 to 2017, Sumburgh & Stornoway (Gap, north): Bristow awarded DfT contract 2012.
• 2015 to 2026, all 10 UK bases (Main, Lot 3): Bristow awarded DfT contract March 2013.
The aircraft that arrived a few weeks ago are for service of the Gap contract at Sumburgh and Stornoway from 2013 to 2017.
The contract that was in the news at the end of March is the Main contract that replaces all current government-funded UK
SAR helicopter provision
Advantages of the new airframes
High aircraft availability: 98+%
Mission management mapping systems
Faster aircraft: shorter transit times
Lower door sill: step in, not climb in
Enhanced lift capability
Dual winch
Major step up in flying safety
Big door each side, on half the fleet (189 only)
Full night vision fit in every aircraft
Longer endurance
Better search equipment
De-icing
Better comms
Data link for medical info (under development)
Disadvantages of the new airframes
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2013
Increased downwash (both same rotor loading)
16
BASES – SCOTLAND
Sumburgh
This base will change to Bristow under the Gap contract
in 1st June 2013 and continue under that contract until it
changes to the Main contract on 1st April 2017. Two of the
newly delivered S-92 with the enhanced role equipment
fit, including NVG, will be based here during both contract
periods. This base is rarely involved in land or mountain tasks
but a possible provider for coastal Caithness tasks.
Low cabin height, on half the fleet (189 only)
Stornoway
This base will change to Bristow under the Gap contract
in 1st July 2013 and continue under that contract until it
changes to the Main contract on 1st July 2017. Two of the
newly delivered S-92 with the enhanced role equipment
fit, including NVG, will be based here during both contract
periods. This base will also house a training facility. This
training facility is located for access to appropriate maritime
and mountain areas while taking advantage of good
aeronautical conditions and relatively quiet airspace. An
additional crewed training aircraft will be based there.
There will continue to be an enhanced range/endurance
requirement only at this base for the purpose of long Atlantic
maritime SAR jobs. This may mean that the aircraft turns up
for mountain tasks with a large fuel load that reduces its lift
ability. This base is routinely involved in mountain tasks in
the NW Highlands.
Inverness
A new base will be built at Inverness Airport, Dalcross. A
2500m2 hanger will house the SAR helicopter base and a
training facility. This training facility is located for access
to appropriate maritime and mountain areas while taking
advantage of good communications and relatively quiet
airspace. Three Agusta Westland AW189 (main , back-up and
training) will operate from there from 1st April 2015. This base
is expected to be the principal provider for northern teams.
Estimated flying time (not including 15/45 min standby):
Cairngorm 17 min, Five Sisters of Kintail 23 min, Ben Nevis or
Ben Hope 27 min, Altnafeadh 29 min.
Prestwick
A new base is expected to be built near to the existing RN
facility at Prestwick Airport. Two Agusta Westland AW189
will operate from here from 1st January 2016. This base is
expected to be the principal provider for southern teams.
Estimated flying time (not including 15/45 min standby):
Altnafeadh or Schiehallion or Meikle Says Law 33 min.
BASES, CROSS-BORDER
Caernarfon
This base will take over from Valley on 1st July 2015. Two S-92
will be based there.
AIRCRAFT
Sikorsky S-92
Almost an old friend to teams in the north-west already
but its reputation has been unnecessarily spoilt by the
DfT technical requirements for the 2007 contract being
quite lame and not including adequate communications
equipment or a low light requirement.
Very powerful, with rated power approaching 5000 shaft
Bristow have taken the outstanding step of buying aircraft
for the Gap contract that meet the enhanced requirements
for the Main contract. This means that these enhanced
requirements are in service at Sumburgh and Stornoway
from the summer of 2013.
These aircraft will be fitted with a EuroNav 7 mission
management mapping system. It is expected that the rearcrew will communicate your navigational information to the
pilots using this system.
Agusta Westland AW189
Very new and still going through the certification process
which is due for completion in 2014. The first SAR prototype
PT6 is expected to be finished at Yeovilton in May or June
2013. It has a family resemblance to the AW139, used at
Portland and Lee since 2007, but is significantly bigger and
more powerful.
It uses the same engines as the S-92 but at a lower rating of
around 4000 shp: lots of power for an eight tonne helicopter.
The rotorhead is a modern design that enables good control
power and good speed. Control power is what enables the
aircraft to manoeuvre and, as an example of this, the aircraft
exceeds the DfT specification for side and tail winds by an
impressive margin. When the aircraft’s operational limits
have been confirmed, it is expected to cruise faster than the
S-92: at a speed between 145 and 165 knots.
The accommodation in this aircraft borders on that of the
larger Lot 1 specification (fulfilled by the S-92). The cabin
is similar in size to that of the well-known Blackhawk/
Jayhawk, that is in SAR service with the US Coast Guard, but
the AW189 cabin is slightly taller. It may be possible that it
will carry as many as 8 lightly-equipped mountain rescue
personnel along with a full fuel load. Permanent seating for
6 is expected and it is not yet known if the Bristow version
will have an additional 2 temporary door-mounted seats.
The pilots will be separated from the rear cabin by a
bulkhead. These aircraft will be fitted with a SELEX mission
management mapping system. It is expected that the rearcrew will communicate your navigational information to the
pilots using this system.
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2013
Humberside
This base will take over from Leconfield on 1st April 2015. Two
S-92 will be based there.
horsepower. Perhaps a bit hefty. Long tall cabin. It cruises at
145 knots so it is able to respond noticeably faster than its
predecessors.
17
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SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2013
“
18
”
Mountain Rescue Work
Praised Oban MRT
02/04/2013
“Rescue teams provide an outstanding service to our communities
in Scotland’s mountains, hills and rural areas. That’s why I’m delighted to award an additional £51,000 to the Scottish Mountain Rescue
Committee for specialist stretchers.
“The type of stretcher used by mountain rescue teams is highly specialised and greatly prized by the teams as a piece of kit that does
everything they need. The funding will ensure that no mountain
rescue team will run out of them in the short term. The stretchers
have been made over many years by a specialist Scottish manufacturer based in Glencoe and the teams have come to rely heavily
on the product. I’m sure the Scottish Mountain Rescue Committee
will welcome this extra investment, which will allow them to keep
providing a first-class service.
“Unfortunately since the turn of the year avalanches have claimed a
number of lives in the Highlands. I want to take this opportunity to
remind anyone considering walking, climbing or taking part in any
other activities in the mountains to take extra care.”
The stretchers are unique to Scotland and are designed and built
by in Glencoe by Hamish McInness, a well-known member of the
mountaineering community.
Jonathan Hart, Chair of the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland, said:
Scottish Government Minister Roseanna Cunningham visited Oban
MRT post on Tuesday to look at the work of mountain rescue teams
as we move in to a new era of working with a single Scottish Police
force
The sterling work done by Scotland’s mountain rescue teams was
praised by Minister for Community Safety Roseanna Cunningham
on a visit to their Oban base.
As the current changeable weather continues, Ms Cunningham
also reminded anyone venturing out into Scotland’s mountains to
take extra care and heed safety advice.
The Minister also announced extra funding of £51,000 for ‘specialist
stretchers’ in 2012-13, in addition to the £3m the Scottish Government has already provided to Scottish mountain rescue teams.
The Scottish Government is the only government in the UK that
provides annual
grant funding
to support the
work of volunteer mountain
rescue teams.
“Recent tragic
events on the
mountains have
demonstrated
clearly
that
Mountain Rescue Team volunteers provide
a vital public
service, saving
many lives every year.
“Scottish Mountain Rescue Teams are very grateful for the Scottish
Government’s financial support, announced today, which together
with the additional funding for specialist stretchers, will considerably enhance our voluntary life-saving mountain rescue service
provided to those who may be in need of its assistance.
“Scottish Mountain Rescue Teams are proud to provide a worldclass voluntary search and rescue service 24 hours a day, 365 days
of the year. I am deeply grateful to all of the teams and other partner responders who continue to provide a vital public service for
Scotland’s local communities.”
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2013
Ms
Cunningham said:
19
Search
Management
Managing
the Initial
Response to a
SAR Incident
D ave Perkins and Pete Rober ts are both active
members of Nor thumberland National Park
Mountain Rescue Team and have been for some
40 years each. Pete is their current Team Leader.
In 1997 they formed a registered charit y called
The Centre for Search Research ( TCSR) – w w w.
searchresearch.org.uk – they have presented their
courses throughout the UK and Ireland and have
presented at conferences in the UK , US and Canada.
They co - author the UK Missing Person Study with
Ged Feeney and are currently updating their Field
Skills course and adding a new Search Group Leader
course to their list of courses offered. Their courses
are specifically designed to meet the needs of UK
practitioners.
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2013
This course will be delivered again in the Nor th
of England in November 2013. TCSR have been
presenting this course throughout the UK since
2000, the date of the first Initial Response course,
but only recently (2012) received recognition
from MREW. The course was developed through
a collaboration of SAR prac titioners in the UK and
USA.
20
In 1998 this group reviewed search management
courses throughout the UK , US and Canada and
concluded that a new specific course should be
developed, aimed at whoever (Police and/or MR)
received the First Notice and that it should be
logical, hang together as a discrete process and
be simple and straightfor ward to implement.
This collaboration identified The Initial Response
Phase of an operation as being impor tant in
building a foundation for other search management
concepts – ever y incident has an Initial Response,
and this adds to its impor tance. This phase is
tightly time constrained and that also impac ts on
the process.
The first course was taught in the UK in 2000 and
it has been updated, revised and reviewed since
then. As a course it is unique in addressing The
I nitial Response Phase. Since identifying this
concept other providers have incorporated the
phase into existing courses and some have even
invented a new terminology, but TCSR’s course is
different to other search management courses as
it deals exclusively with the I nitial Response Phase
and, most recently, The I mmediate Response to a
SAR incident.
Background
• Statistics from past incidents show that in
the UK around 95% of searches for missing
persons are concluded within the first 12
hours – 80% in 5 hours.
• Through analysis of over 5000 MR incidents
we found that on average an incident lasted
just over 4 hours and 50% lasted only 2.5
hours.
• This time period is referred to as the Initial
Response Phase, and how it is managed can
have an impor tant bearing on the outcome
of the entire incident.
• Ever y incident has an I nitial Response phase
• Search management training had become
overly complex and not appropriate for
managing this phase of an incident.
• A new, more cohesive and logical approach
was needed.
The course
I t is a prac tical, hands- on course that focuses on
the needs of the individuals with the responsibility
for managing the I nitial Response phase of a
search. I t has been designed to meet the needs
of those people who have the responsibility for
managing the I nitial Response phase of a search
for a missing person but it is relevant to all
involved in an incident so that ever yone has a
grasp of the ‘big pic ture’ which in turns helps with
the overall success of the operation. This includes
both volunteer and statutor y bodies.
The method that is taught:
• focuses on the prac tical rather than
theoretical
• is based on a set of procedures that are
logical and sequential
• is suppor ted by documentation that provides
an audit trail of decisions made
• uses map exercises based on UK incidents
• explores the use of the UK M issing Person
behaviour
Study in detail
The course is based on the Six Step Process, which
is a simple yet versatile template for a response
to an operational problem. I t is a generic problem
solving process that provides a framework to
hang search management concepts on, and can
be developed and used beyond the Initial Phase.
Good management is achieved through clear
processes and clearly defined tasks.
Par ticipants work individually. The instruc tors
provide the necessar y theor y and lead the students
through a series of tabletop incidents suppor ted
by a manual and documentation designed by the
authors. By the end of the course students are able
to manage these incidents with the minimum of
input from the instruc tors. I t is a 1.5 day course.
Since 2000, the course has been fur ther developed
to incorporate UK M issing Person statistics, UK
based map problems, UK based documentation
that is acceptable to the Police and that is used as
a standard in Ireland.
We feel that it is best delivered regionally with a
mix of volunteer and statutor y bodies to reflec t
a multi agenc y response to a SAR incident. This
also provides an oppor tunity to customise courses
to local needs and to include local map exercises.
Experience has shown that this is the most cost
effec tive way of delivering this fundamental of
SAR to a broad local group rather than restric t it
to a small, exclusive group of individuals.
I t allows for a broader understanding of search
management principles for a larger group of
individuals who will be involved in an incident
so that ever yone is involved and understand
the process. I f a variety of local agencies, who
might be involved in a SAR incident, attend then
much valuable liaison can be achieved during the
course and any local issues dealt with. This local
and ‘bespoke’ approach is unique to the courses
we offer.
Having said that, we intend to provide an annual
national course based in Nor thumberland and
details of the 2013 course is available on the
website.
For fur ther information contac t Pete Rober ts peterober ts@brink burn.net or for fur ther details
on the courses we offer and free publications, go
to
w w w.searchresearch.org.uk
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2013
The 2012 course at Longhirst Hall, Morpeth
21
Remembering Stuart
A gaggle of Mountain Rescue folk gathered at the Kings House Hotel, Glencoe over the weekend of 11/12 May in
the form of Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team and Search and Rescue Dog Association Scotland (SARDA). The
common denominator for this occasion was Stuart Ruffell, ex-Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team Leader and
SARDA Dog Handler who sadly passed away in November 2008. This was a joint venture as Stuart had been a
much loved and well respected member of both organisations. Glencoe was a special place for Stewart and both
organisations agreed to raise funds to build a small memorial here. This would take the form of a small meeting
place for others to appreciate the splendour of being out of doors with the majesty of the Buachaille Etive Mòr
as a back drop.
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2013
There was no shortage of volunteers to work on this project and, despite the inclement weather, foundations
were dug and building commenced. The idea was to make a circular base of sandstone slabs to accommodate a
round table and benches. This will be contained within a wall made from local stone, banked up with earth, and
turfed. We all thought Stuart would like the idea. The idea was to build during the day and celebrate Stuart’s life
over a few beers and an evening BBQ.
22
Cement mixers, whacker plates, and pick axes appeared from all directions with a surplus of labour (and
foremen!) all eager to play their part. Local stone was quickly fashioned into a circular base.
This was both a tribute to Stuart Ruffell and a reflection of the camaraderie that exists in the Mountain
Rescue community.
Both of Stuart’s sons are members of TVMRT and, along with their mum Irene, helped with the
build and manned the BBQ at night.
Sarda raised funds at a training weekend as well as holding a gear and book sale. TVMRT
raised funds by holding an ‘Evening With Tweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team‘ in the
MacFarlane Hall, Peebles, last November. Peebles was Stuart’s home town.
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2013
23
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2013
Tom Gilchrist cons
iders the options wi
th
Derek McHugh
24
SCOTTISH MOUNTAIN RESCUE May 2013
Irene gets stuck in!
25
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Photo © Kalice
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