Any Mountain Rescue Team members here?

Any Mountain Rescue Team members here?

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Discussion

LaneDiesel

Original Poster:

170 posts

93 months

Saturday 2nd July 2016
quotequote all
Hi folks,

Registered my interest in applying to volunteer for the local Mountain Rescue Team and got the application forms last week.

All done and sent off, just waiting to see if I have got through the papersift.

Are there any MRT members on here? Would like to hear about the application processes, experiences and what affect it has on your work and home lives.

Any tips would be appreciated, and for those who support or operate the teams, keep up the great work wink

Mothersruin

8,573 posts

98 months

Saturday 2nd July 2016
quotequote all
Hi there,

I'm currently three months into training with Brecon MRT.

When I'm back on the PC I'll post up what I had to do for selection and what we've done so far. Would that be ok?

Edited by Mothersruin on Saturday 2nd July 13:38

LaneDiesel

Original Poster:

170 posts

93 months

Saturday 2nd July 2016
quotequote all
That would be great smile


austinsmirk

5,597 posts

122 months

Saturday 2nd July 2016
quotequote all
An ability to sleep with one eye open.


Joking aside, good luck with it. It's a much needed thing.

ThunderGuts

12,230 posts

193 months

Saturday 2nd July 2016
quotequote all
austinsmirk said:
An ability to sleep with one eye open.


Joking aside, good luck with it. It's a much needed thing.
hehe I'm sure we all agree MR is a non-walt activity smile

One of my neighbours is involved / on call at times. A very worthwhile activity, the local MR team are on call out 59 on the year.

Mothersruin

8,573 posts

98 months

Saturday 2nd July 2016
quotequote all
I've always admired the people that give their time to help others in often dangerous predicaments and it was always something I'd like to do, give something back and work with these people.

My background - just for context really - I'm ex-Army, Royal Anglian Regiment (Reserves) then REME (Regulars). While serving I was lucky enough to qualify as a Ski Instructor - Alpine, Nordic and Ski Touring. A bit like the civvie versions but with military operational requirements thrown in and all weathers. So I spent a fair bit of time 'outdoors', shall we say. Always been an avid Outdoorsman and as of the New Year, I'm now in a position, and location, to help out if I can.

Selection.

I had a couple of interviews with some of the senior guys and was then invited for the practical test/selection.

Turn up in the right place 6 figure map reference(middle of the Beacons somewhere - if you can't find that then it's unlikely you'll do well hehe) and turn up with the right kit - it was mentioned that people had turned up in wellies and a waxed coat...

To start with, they wanted to see if we were comfortable on the hill. So we scrambled up the face of a nearby quarry, then ascended a steep area - mainly grass and rock. We were then led up the face to a base for the navigation phase to start. Where were we? Lots of back bearings to work that out. OK - on a bearing of XXX for 535m, where would you be, ok let's get going? At this grid reference 12345678, where would you be? Repeat many times. Lots of variations and often over terrain that necessitated route planning for access and safety etc... The maps used are the 1:25 000 OS Explorer series, standard compasses. I use a Silva Expedition 4.

...and this was at night, early February - it was rather dark.

You need to know your way around a map and compass and trust your readings and pacing - especially the pacing. I spent many a night before practising. Navigation at night and crap visibility is paramount. Even though we use all the tech, with redundancies, it's still a core skill because just when you need it most, that's when the tech fails.

Fitness? You need to be able to carry your full personal hill kit, be able to also carry additional rescue equipment and then be able to do your job when you get there. A lot of the people in the team are seriously fit though. I need to up my game to be honest. I'm not where I'd like to be so I'm back running regularly now and out in the hills whenever I can with full kit. I'm actually OK, but I don't want to be just OK. I find working with these guys very inspiring and I don't want to let anyone down - so I need to get fitter so that it will won't be an issue (if that makes sense).

Edited by Mothersruin on Saturday 2nd July 16:06

Mothersruin

8,573 posts

98 months

Saturday 2nd July 2016
quotequote all
Training is on every Wednesday evening and the 1st Sunday of each month (unless there's a fundraising event on).

My training group is made up of an ex-Royal Marine, ex-Solider (Artillery), a serving fireman, a bloke that does Ultras for a laugh, another ex-RM who's also local plod, and a guy that is transferring over from another Team. We did have another one start with us, a scientist/explorer guy that managed to smash himself into the face of Pen-y-Fan Para Gliding and is now in hospital with a few less vertebrae than previously - ironically rescued by the team.

The initial sessions were at Base going through the Mountain/Search Rescue set ups in England & Wales, Regional and local set ups etc... Who does what and how it works with Police, Ambulance, Coastguard, Air Ambulance, Military, etc.. We also covered communications, procedures and protocols,how responses and call outs are managed from initial notification through to standing down. Shown around the vehicles, what they carry, how they work and how they're used. There's also a whole bunch of admin to go through at the start - not too much. Then we started on the actual rescue training.

There's classroom theory then practical application. It involves everything from search science, working with the SARDA Dogs and handlers, the engineering of belay systems, Medical and Casualty Care, recovery, helicopter drills and LZ management - it's fascinating and I'm like a sponge. I love it.

Here's a couple of photos that were taken during a simulated rescue. I'm the guy in the brown jacket - can't wear the proper kit as I haven't qualified yet. It was an interesting exercise as the guy playing the casualty is a semi-Pro rugby player, 17st plus big bugger, and we had to get him back up! I'm actually standing at the bottom of a waterfall. Weather was 'interesting'. I'd also done all the knots on the belay system at the top so it really was a case of putting my money where my mouth was. In the images we were just about to ascend. I was clipped into the stretcher on the right and another guy was on the left and our job was to guide the stretcher up the face and stop it from digging in.

It was a good hike as well to get there. I was carrying just under 25kg plus radio - my Bergen and half the Stretcher (it breaks down to two halves for easy of carrying) - Others had further kit as well.




I took this one at the top - show's how delightful the weather was. On the left you can just make out the tip of the belay system and the two far guys are just about to descend - again, putting trust in my work (it's buddy checked at every stage so very safe).



Edited by Mothersruin on Saturday 2nd July 16:09

matchmaker

8,463 posts

199 months

Saturday 2nd July 2016
quotequote all
Well done. I have always admired the work of the MRTs.

Mothersruin

8,573 posts

98 months

Saturday 2nd July 2016
quotequote all
Something from another session.

We, the noobs, worked with the team's SARDA Handler and dogs so we could understand their training, role, how to work with them as part of a larger search team and how to work with them directly as the handler's navigator (includes area management, comms, that sort of stuff - everything else so the handler can focus on working the dog).

http://www.sardaengland.org.uk/

Really interesting and wonderful to see the dogs training and working - again, only a few pics as we're kept busy - sorry about that.

This was after we'd done a run through and we didn't have a clue where the guy was but as soon as the dog had worked off the line (we'd worked out a plan of search given wind direction and probability etc...) he was like an arrow to him. The general ratio is that a dog can clear six times the area a trained person can.



Flares are fired at various times to determine the wind speed, direction and how a scent cone might develop. This was a larger flare that would also be used for LZs. There are smaller versions as well, also night flares.


LaneDiesel

Original Poster:

170 posts

93 months

Saturday 2nd July 2016
quotequote all
Some fantastic work on here smile

Mothersruin

8,573 posts

98 months

Sunday 3rd July 2016
quotequote all
OP, what area are you applying for?

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 3rd July 2016
quotequote all
ThunderGuts said:
I'm sure we all agree MR is a non-walt activity smile
+1000

I live in the Lake District so am very aware that the MR work tirelessly in the most foul of weather to rescue people all year long. They save many lives and sadly also have to deal with finding bodies.

They go about their work in a very quiet fashion and ask for no recognition or publicity of their efforts.

It is truly a selfless activity.

LaneDiesel

Original Poster:

170 posts

93 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
Mothersruin said:
OP, what area are you applying for?
North West smile

Mothersruin

8,573 posts

98 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
NinjaPower said:
ThunderGuts said:
I'm sure we all agree MR is a non-walt activity smile
+1000

I live in the Lake District so am very aware that the MR work tirelessly in the most foul of weather to rescue people all year long. They save many lives and sadly also have to deal with finding bodies.

They go about their work in a very quiet fashion and ask for no recognition or publicity of their efforts.

It is truly a selfless activity.
This is what's make me tetchy about posting stuff. Please don't think I'm being bold about it - Just answering the OP, doing something that I'm really enjoying and working with some really cool people.

I'm not posting anything that isn't up on the Team's Facebook, just explaining what's going on.

Mothersruin

8,573 posts

98 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
Just thought PH would be interested.

Hilts

4,383 posts

281 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
Of course, makes a change from the usual drivel.

Skied a lot in the Cairngorms but never needed the MRT of course wink

There used to be an RAF MR team operating out of Kinloss, wondered what happened to them now that Kinloss went the way of Jimmy Hoffa. Maybe just switched to Lossie.

matchmaker

8,463 posts

199 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
Hilts said:
Of course, makes a change from the usual drivel.

Skied a lot in the Cairngorms but never needed the MRT of course wink

There used to be an RAF MR team operating out of Kinloss, wondered what happened to them now that Kinloss went the way of Jimmy Hoffa. Maybe just switched to Lossie.
At Lossiemouth now.

gruffalo

7,509 posts

225 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
Mothersruin said:
Just thought PH would be interested.
And interesting it certainly is!

Thank you for posting.

CrutyRammers

13,735 posts

197 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
gruffalo said:
Mothersruin said:
Just thought PH would be interested.
And interesting it certainly is!

Thank you for posting.
+ 1
The MRT (and cave rescue, for that matter) guys and gals do a great job.

Vaud

50,291 posts

154 months

Monday 4th July 2016
quotequote all
gruffalo said:
Mothersruin said:
Just thought PH would be interested.
And interesting it certainly is!

Thank you for posting.
+1 - thanks for sharing. Tech has moved on a lot in the last 20 years since I knew some guys in MR.