Author Topic: Rescue Services  (Read 95644 times)

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Offline SteveH

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Rescue Services
« on: May 28, 2015, 04:45:32 pm »
 Training starts on new search and rescue helicopters in North Wales

Training has started on new search and rescue helicopters which will soon replace the famous yellow Sea Kings.
The red and white Sivorsky helicopters will take over full search and rescue operations on July 1.
Members of every North Wales search and rescue service team took part in the first training session on Wednesday as the teams got up to speed with the new helicopters.
More details and great photos....
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/look-training-starts-new-search-9344878


"Bristow, who won the £1.6bn government contract to provide a search and rescue service."
Under the new contract, 22 helicopters will operate from 10 locations around the UK.
Ten S-92s will be based, two per site, at Stornoway and Sumburgh, and at new bases at Newquay, Caernarfon and Humberside airports.

I was surprised by the privatization of SAR.... looking further I found "for and against" arguments in the following link interesting....
https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&rlz=1C1CHKZ_enES433ES433&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=bristow%20air%20sea%20rescue
« Last Edit: April 27, 2021, 11:27:07 am by Ian »

Offline Blongb

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Re: AIR/SEA RESCUE...2015
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2015, 11:55:18 pm »
I had the privilege of being a part of Bristow Search and Rescue, for 13 years during my time spent Offshore on the Shell Brent Oilfield. We provided 2 Helicopters, Rescue 145 and 146 to the U.K. Search and Rescue Service which was controlled from Pitreavie Castle, Edinburgh, 24 / 7, 365 days of the year. Bristow has a long tradition in the Search and Rescue field, having started its first U.K. operation at Manston in Kent during 1958.

Just like other parts of the Armed Forces the equipment being used by the R.A.F. and Navy, although much loved, is no longer fit for purpose. The design of the Sea King goes back to 1961, with Rotor systems and Avionics hopelessly out of date by today’s standards. With 97% of their call-outs being of a civilian nature, the Government, with no money in the Treasury really had no choice but to privatize the service.
There has been a very lively debate about it on the following link 

http://www.pprune.org/rotorheads/511282-uk-sar-2013-privatisation-new-thread.html
Quot homines tot sententiae: suus cuique mos.
(There are as many opinions as there are people: each has his own view.)


Offline SteveH

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Re: AIR/SEA RESCUE...2015
« Reply #2 on: May 30, 2015, 01:03:34 pm »
Thanks for the link, Blongb, it helped to answer some of my questions.....I would like to think some formal recognition will be forthcoming for outstanding service......it will be a tough act to follow.....

Offline SteveH

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Re: AIR/SEA RESCUE...2015
« Reply #3 on: June 03, 2015, 11:26:12 am »
I could hear a lot of helicopter activity last night but did not see anything.......Anybody?  ?  ?
"PRACTICE RUN: Two new red and white Sikorsky S92s search and rescue helicopters were out on training along the Menai Strait last night."RefDP.

Offline SteveH

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Re: AIR/SEA RESCUE...2015
« Reply #4 on: June 03, 2015, 12:12:18 pm »
new red and white Sikorsky S92s search and rescue helicopters

Offline Barney Baker

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Re: AIR/SEA RESCUE...2015
« Reply #5 on: June 03, 2015, 06:48:09 pm »
Helicopter activity was a police helicopter hovering about 300 feet above around the Kings Head/Church Walks area

Offline SteveH

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Re: AIR/SEA RESCUE...2015
« Reply #6 on: June 03, 2015, 07:00:47 pm »
Helicopter activity was a police helicopter hovering about 300 feet above around the Kings Head/Church Walks area
Thanks Barney,  I put two and two together, and got the wrong answer again.... :(

Offline TheMedz

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Re: AIR/SEA RESCUE...2015
« Reply #7 on: June 04, 2015, 08:14:28 am »
https://mobile.twitter.com/NPAS_Rhuddlan

The police helicopter website says they were called out to search for a missing person over Llandudno at 9pm on the 2nd

Offline SteveH

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Re: AIR/SEA RESCUE...2015
« Reply #8 on: June 08, 2015, 05:09:43 pm »
RAF Sea King photographed alongside new search and rescue helicopter

A rescue team leader managed to capture the old and the new as he was joined by volunteers from across Snowdonia for a training session.

Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation leader John Hulse took this picture of an RAF Sea King flying past the new civilian search and rescue helicopter that will take over the role next month.

About 50 volunteer team members from across North Wales gathered at the Ogwen base over the weekend for training and familiarisation with one of the new Coastguard Sikorsky S-92 aircraft that will be operated by Bristow Helicopters from a new base at Caernarfon Airport from July.

Ogwen Valley MRT spokesman Chris Lloyd said the training session was taking place on Sunday when the familiar yellow Sea King of C Flight of 22 Squadron from RAF Valley flew past the Ogwen Valley base.
"We are holding regular training sessions with the new helicopters at our base. members from all the region's mountain rescue teams are coming here,"
During the weekend the new red and white aircraft were involved in exercises with the Moelfre and Beaumaris RNLI crews.

The move is the latest in the staged introduction of the civilian search and rescue service, which will replace the Sea Kings operated by the RAF and Royal Navy, which have taken part in thousands of mountain rescue operations since they first went into service in the 1970s.
PHOTO GALLERT...http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/raf-sea-king-photographed-alongside-9413008

Offline SteveH

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Re: AIR/SEA RESCUE...2015 MOUNTAIN RESCUE SETBACK
« Reply #9 on: June 09, 2015, 06:44:48 pm »
After the recent deaths, this is a unbelievable ....... $angry$

Police probe after mountain rescue vehicles damaged

An investigation is underway after three Land Rovers used by a North Wales mountain rescue team were damaged - putting lives at risk.

Police say the battery cables on all three vehicles had been cut, rendering them immobile.
All bolts securing front and back passenger doors had been removed from two of the vehicles, with one back door left on the floor. A door on the third vehicle had also been forced open.

The three Land Rovers were parked at the mountain rescue team's base in Nant Peris and it is believed the damage was caused between midday yesterday and midday today.

Just last Sunday, rescue volunteers were called out when four swimmers got into difficulties at a Llanberis waterfall - two of whom later died.
Mountain rescue teams provide an invaluable service to the public in the Snowdonia area who fall or get into difficulties.

As a result of the damage members of Llanberis MRT were not in a position to be deployed to any emergency situation and it is by chance that no emergency calls have been received today requiring their assistance.

– PC MARK OWEN, NORTH WALES POLICE
Police enquiries are ongoing and Crime Scene Investigators have also attended the scene.
Anyone with information is asked to call North Wales Police on the 101 number, quoting reference number S083209.
Alternatively, individuals can contact Crimestopers anonymously with information on 0800 555 111.

Offline SteveH

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Re: AIR/SEA RESCUE...2015
« Reply #10 on: June 10, 2015, 06:43:27 pm »
Conwy garage lends Land Rovers to mountain rescue team stranded by vandals
A car garage has driven to the rescue of a stranded team of emergency volunteers.
Conwy Land Rover has lent Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team two Defenders while three vandalised emergency response vehicles are repaired.
Some time between midday on Monday and lunchtime on Tuesday, the bolts which secured both front and rear passenger doors were removed from two Land Rover Discovery vehicles at the team’s base in Nant Peris.
The door of the third vehicle was forced open, while the battery cables on all three vehicles had been cut, rendering all three out of action.
But Conwy Land Rover, with the help of North Wales Police, have now temporarily given the team two vehicles, meaning they can respond to emergency calls.
Jason Ashley, Conwy Land Rover head of business, said: “We have a close relationship with Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team and massive respect for what they do.
“So, from our point of view, it was just the natural thing to do.
“We didn’t think twice. We knew we needed to get them mobile.”
http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/conwy-garage-lends-land-rovers-9427179

Offline SteveH

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Re: AIR/SEA RESCUE...2015
« Reply #11 on: June 13, 2015, 05:33:20 pm »
Slow motion S92 hover during training today....With the Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation,  a busy voluntary search and rescue team covering Northern Snowdonia in North Wales, UK.

https://twitter.com/OVMRO?original_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailypost.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fnorth-wales-news%2Flive-north-wales

Offline SteveH

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Re: AIR/SEA RESCUE...2015
« Reply #12 on: June 17, 2015, 12:16:26 pm »
WED>>>17th June
HELICOPTER: The dramatic sight of the Sea King helicopter winching someone out of the water near the Great Orme in Llandudno, is a training exercise, Holyhead Coastguard say.

Offline Blongb

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Re: AIR/SEA RESCUE...2015
« Reply #13 on: June 17, 2015, 07:42:49 pm »
WED>>>17th June
HELICOPTER: The dramatic sight of the Sea King helicopter winching someone out of the water near the Great Orme in Llandudno, is a training exercise, Holyhead Coastguard say.

That really is great fun Steve. The last time I played the casualty was in Baltasound up on the Island of Unst back in the late 90's.  $donald$
Quot homines tot sententiae: suus cuique mos.
(There are as many opinions as there are people: each has his own view.)

Offline SteveH

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Re: AIR/SEA RESCUE...2015 RNLI
« Reply #14 on: June 18, 2015, 03:03:33 pm »
RAN AGROUND:Thurs AM  Lifeboat crews and coastguards are currently assisting a yacht which has gone aground in Llandudno Bay.
The sailor on board dragged the anchor onshore overnight which led to the vessel getting stuck.
Rescue crews are waiting for the tide to come in to lift the boat back into the sea.

RNLI: Thur afternoon... Llandudno RNLI inshore lifeboat was launched twice in nine hours to rescue the same vessel in difficulties off the North Wales coast.