Whitby Coastguard

🛑There are no blue lights, no casualty and no dramatic rescue in this photo.

But this is where every rescue starts.

We are seeing more need for response to cliff and technical rescue related jobs at the moment, and whilst we don’t think it’s fair to give numbers as no person should be a statistic, we can say our callouts have surpassed the amount of this time last year.

With that in mind 👇

Last night’s training spent some time looking specifically at the care, inspection and maintenance of our rope rescue equipment. Every rope, karabiner, descender, pulley and sling we use is life safety equipment. Keeping it clean isn’t about appearances, it’s so every piece can be properly inspected and any wear or damage picked up before it’s ever needed on a rescue.

When most people picture a rope rescue, they picture one of our coastguard rescue officers going over the cliff edge.

What often goes unmentioned is the team at the top.

They’re managing the rope systems, monitoring every movement, communicating with the technician below and keeping everyone on those lines safe. That might be fellow Coastguard Rescue Officers as Rope Technicians, a casualty, or another emergency service colleague such as a paramedic who has descended with us to provide further specialist care.

The safety of everyone on those ropes depends on more than training alone. It depends on equipment that has been looked after properly, checked thoroughly and maintained to the highest standard. Just as importantly, it relies on the knowledge and experience of the team operating those systems.

It’s one of those parts of volunteering that rarely gets seen. Alongside training nights, vehicle checks, paperwork and planning, there’s a huge amount of work that happens quietly in the background to make sure we’re ready when the pager goes off.

By the time someone is suspended on a rope system, all of that work has already been done.

It’s not the exciting part of the role, and it doesn’t often make the photos, but it’s one of the most important.

This is something we maintain on a regular basis, before and after rescue jobs, monthly routine checks and further 6 monthly more in depth checks with full time officers. Training for this is always ongoing for rolling recruitment and new members of our team, as well as refresh sessions like this one, for even the most experienced members.

Because at the end of the day, this equipment keeps us safe, so we can save lives.

📟 on call for our community 24/7
💙your Whitby Coastguard Rescue Team

Happy Birthday to Dave from all of us at Whitby Coastguard Rescue Team! 🎉

After many years on the team, Dave has mastered plenty of Coastguard skills… but none quite as impressive as his ability to spot a camera from 200 metres away and immediately become front and centre or strike a pose. 📸😎

Whether it’s training, team photos or somehow appearing front and centre at exactly the right moment, Dave never misses an opportunity for a good picture.

All jokes aside, he’s a valued part of the team, has given many years service to the town of Whitby and always keeps spirits high with his humour… or highly intellectual sarcasm 😂

Have a brilliant birthday Dave, we’ll try not to post too many dodgy photos of you… no promises though. 🚨🎂