APR I L 2008

mountain

24

£3.50

ISSN 1756-8749

M O U N T A I N R E S C U E M A G A Z I N E P A G E 3

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PAGEThe Hummer H3, kindlydonated for the year by

General MotorsPhoto: Andrew Price

EDITOR’S NOTEArticles carried in

Mountain Rescue do notnecessarily reflect the opinionsof Mountain Rescue (England& Wales). We do not acceptresponsibility for information

supplied in adverts/advertorial.

mountain

Rescue at any cost...a conflict of interests?

Several years have passed since

Pete Livesey wrote along these lines and

raised the question whether, under every

rescue circumstance, all the ethics and

principles of mountaineering could

justifiably be abandoned. As then, there

is still no easy answer to the question but

as circumstances change it needs to be

asked from time to time.

What prompts me to raise it again is

the mounting interest in PLBs and the

pressure for mountain rescue to support

their introduction on the land.

Mountaineering is many things to

many people. Most would agree that it

enables us to get back to things that

really count, away from the less attractive

parts of modern life. Inherent also is the

freedom to put oneself in a dangerous

environment and then deal with it. What

Peter Boardman called ‘serious play’. It

is not necessary to climb on north faces

in high ranges to live these experiences.

Navigating in bad weather and tackling

relatively easy faces create risks that we

learn to overcome. These experiences

give great rewards and enable us to

reinforce our identity and especially our

capability for self sufficiency.

In modern society risk is becoming

unacceptable. Anything is better than

death, even a mundane existence in front

of a television set. There are those who,

as so often seen in the USA, would have

society protect mountaineers against

themselves. Sadly the views of

Nietzsche, advising of the well being to

individuals and society of ‘living

dangerously’ are no longer widely

regarded.

The threats to this spirit of

mountaineering come from many

directions. Loss and erosion of the

environment, greater density of people,

and improved equipment are probably

unavoidable. In addition, however, are

the behavioural problems. The use of

mobile phones clearly reduces the

wilderness aspect of the mountain world.

Happily there are many mountaineers

who eschew their use and are

comfortable to live with any

consequences. Perhaps the day is close

by when they will be denigrated for taking

this approach. I hope mountain rescue

has not moved so far away from its

mountaineering roots that it will be first in

line with criticism.

This leads on to the introduction of

PLBs. Another tool to diminish the

contracting wilderness and undermine

the philosophy of self sufficiency in the

hills? It is unlikely that mountain rescue

alone will seriously influence the decision

about their introduction but ,before we

jump on the bandwagon for their

development, let’s not forget our

mountaineering heritage.

I was delighted to read Julian

Carradice vigorously dismissing

measures to make Broad Stand ‘safe’

after another accident there. Make

people aware of the risks in the hills by all

means. Taking away the risks and the

self sufficiency; surely not?

David Allan Chairman

WELCOME TO24

Mountain Rescue is themembership magazine forMountain Rescue (England

& Wales).

Contributions should be sent tothe editor at the address below.

Every care will be taken ofmaterials sent for publication

however these are submitted atthe sender’s risk.

EDITORIALJudy Whiteside

8 Bridgefoot Close, BoothstownManchester M28 1UG

0161 702 6080editor@mountain.rescue.org.uk

Andy Simpson0161 764 5211

press@mountain.rescue.org.uk

mountain.rescue.org.uk

Pat Starkie0845 337 4727

contentsFeatures12 Team Profile

Bowland Pennine in the spotlight14 Criminal Records Bureau Checks

Mike France provides useful guidelines21 Suspension Trauma

Steve Giles on harness induced pathology23 Thoughts on Casualty Care

David Allan discusses cascare training and examination26 Forensic Strategy

Gyles Denn talks procedures30 One Life Left... Live It!

Paul Lewis travels to Jordan36 MR in Profile. Who’s who in MR?

Mike France and Judy Whiteside start the series40 PISC in Profile.

Andy Simpson on the publications subcommittee

Regulars4 News from the executive 5 Letters8 News from around the regions 9 Dates for 200824 Incident Reports and Statistics 29 Kit crit

M O U N T A I N R E S C U E M A G A Z I N EA P R I L 2 0 0 8 P A G E 5M O U N T A I N R E S C U E M A G A Z I N EP A G E 4 A P R I L 2 0 0 8

EQUIPMENT NEWS

Mike Margeson reports...I am delighted to reportthat the first service andload testing has beencompleted under our newagreement with LyonEquipment. I would remindteams that it is bestpractice to ensure serviceand up to date load testcertification. Recordswould indicate a goodnumber of team stretchersare out of service and loadtest certification date. Thisis a cost that the MR(E&W)meets on teams’ behalf aswe view this as particularlyimportant.

BELL STRETCHER PACKFRAMES

These, as you are aware,can be put together tomake a small emergencyadditional stretcher. Theywill not be included in theload test certificationprocess undertaken byLyon. They are not for usein a vertical environmentand are envisaged for useonly in exceptionalcircumstances for a carry.

BLACKS TESTINGPROGRAMME

Following on from Judy’sreport in the last issue Ihave been working withBlacks to help facilitate atest programme. A set ofwaterproofs and boots arebeing issued to a numberof MR members from everyregion. Those chosen willbe taking part in a sixmonth field trail. Aquestionnaire has beenproduced and thosemembers taking part inthese tests will providecritical and honestfeedback to Blacks.

STRETCHERQUESTIONNAIRE

We have received some 24returns out of 54 teamscirculated. If your team hasnot responded, we lose theopportunity to gainknowledge from yourteam’s experience. Quiteoften, in this sort ofresearch, it’s the small,

seemingly insignificantideas which are of mostuse. All the data from thissurvey will be analysed andpublished in the magazineand hopefully presented inthe stretcher developmenttrack at the conference. Ifthe form has not made itinto your inbox, emailmmargeson@hotmail.comfor a copy.

UK MOUNTAINRESCUE CONFERENCEIN STIRLING

I have just had confirmationfrom Dr Mark Taylor fromLeeds University that hewill present the latest dataon helmets and testing,and is hoping to bring hishelmet test rig. Thispresentation will fit well withthe Fallen Climber Track.Paul Witheridge of COMRUand manager at Lyon willpresent load test andservice info in the StretcherTrack and Phil Beard whoruns our PPE and FPEequipment checkingcourses will do a sessionon standards andequipment checking. KirkMauthner from Rigging forRescue will also becontributing to the FallenClimber Track.

EQUIPMENTEXHIBITING AT THECONFERENCE

We still hope to widen therange of exhibitors at theconference. If you have anycontacts or companies whomight be interested, pleaseforward their details tommargeson@hotmail.com

EQUIPMENT STILLIN STOCK

We still have a number ofvacmats in stock. I wouldlike to circulate these so wecan plan and order ournext production run, later inthe year or early 2009. Thenew lightweight casbagproject is slowly makingprogress but we’ve had tospread the substantialprice of this project overtwo financial year periods.

CRIMINAL RECORDSBUREAU CHECKS

A position statement,guidelines and backgroundinformation regarding CRBchecks have now beenuploaded to the Membersarea of the website.� There is currently nonational requirement forCRB checks, routine orenhanced, for operationalSAR volunteers engaged inSAR operations or teamtraining for SAR.� If an MR(E&W)recognised team, ormembers of such a teamwish to be involved inactivities outside SARoperations or SAR training,a possible requirement forCRB checks could existand could depend upon

the type of activity beingcontemplated. Anydecision to initiate CRBchecks should be taken byindividual MRTs and actedupon locally.� The continuation ofpossible free CRB checksis under review by theGovernment and theindications are that chargesmight be imposed soon. Allcosts generated by CRBchecks would be theresponsibility of thoseMRTs seeking suchchecks.� The statement ‘failing inour duty of care to thepublic to not do more toprotect the public we areserving’ is not a validargument in the context ofSAR operations. It should

be a fundamental tenet thatSAR operations are carriedout by teams and not by anindividual working inisolation.� Routine outdooractivities lie well outside thescope of responsibility ofmountain rescue andhence outside the scopeof MR(E&W).Please note that if anyMR(E&W) MRT isconsidering some specificactivity, which they feelcould indicate arequirement for CRBinvolvement, further advicecan and should beobtained from AnthonyRich anthony.rich@virgin.netand/or Mike Francemike.france@pdmro.org.uk.Read more on page 14.

...Tony said he’d like a steak sandwich with chips, Mike askedfor the same. Penny said she wasn’t very hungry but wouldhave a ham sandwich. Ewan didn’t know we were going toeat and would like chicken and chips. Andy asked for a steaksandwich without chips...

For a serious account of these meetings see page 13.

To commemorate the landmark 75th anniversary of mountain rescue in England and

Wales, Hummer has provided a specially modified vehicle to help our rescue and

fundraising effort. The newly launched, right-hand drive Hummer H3 will carry both

equipment and personnel in rescue situations, and featured on the Mountain Rescue

stand at the Outdoors Show in March.

Hailed as the off road vehicle ‘like nothing else,’ the H3 is one of the most capable off

road vehicles on the market today. Recently introduced into the UK, it is a smaller,

more affordable and agile version of the larger H1 and H2 models. In addition to its

iconic design, the vehicle boasts a number of advanced off road features, allowing the

driver to enjoy full versatility in some of the most gruelling driving conditions nature has

to offer.

The only vehicle of its size that can climb a 407mm vertical wall or 60% slope, traverse

a 40% side slope and operate in up to 610mm of water, it’s a sure-footed choice for

mountain rescue and Hummer has further enhanced it with a number of specialist

features. Grill and roof mounted spotlights aid visibility in treacherous conditions, and

rocker panel protection gives added protection to the lower body and door panels

against rock strikes and other strong blows.

Steve Catlin from Hummer says, ‘We are delighted to provide such a tangible support

to one of the country’s most vital charities. The Hummer H3 is the ideal vehicle to

tackle some of the toughest terrains and we hope it can provide a valuable support

to the incredibly brave and courageous work the mountain rescue teams undertake

throughout the year.’

MORPHINE REGISTERThank you to the followingteams that sent copies of their‘morphine’ (Controlled Drug)registers for 2007 to me –Aberglaslyn, Bolton, BowlandPennine, Brecon, Buxton,Calder Valley, Cave RescueOrganisation, Central Beacons,Derby, Duddon & Furness,Edale, Glossop, GloucesterCave Rescue Group, HolmeValley, Kendal, Kirkby Stephen,Llanberis, North East Wales ,Northumberland NP, Ogwen,Outward Bound Wales SRT,Patterdale, Penrith,Rossendale & Pendle, SARDAWales, Upper Wharfedale andWoodhead.You are all logged with me andform part of the AnnualCompliance return I have tosend to the Home Office by31 January each year. (I amusually away for the last twoweeks in January climbingfrozen waterfalls. This year, likelast, consisted of water and ice– global warming. I must gonorth next year!)I was impressed at thedocumentation sent. Very fewregisters could be criticisedand the majority matched orexceeded the information setout in the guidance document– MorphinetheMRC07v2.rtf – inthe Medical section of the MRCwebsite. Some asked aboutlogging drugs out and back inwhen going on callouts andpractices. This is not essentialfor the register but shows aclear train of responsibility,which many teams feel isgood practice. By all meanscontinue recording thesemovements in the register ifthat works well. A separatebook for these movementssounds a bit onerous to me! I

am sorry to say that theregisters will need to be sent tome annually so please mark itin your diary – deadline is 15 ofJanuary 2009. I won’t go awayuntil after that date!On a related but separatematter, I want to mention theOpiate Study Day. This is anon-MRC training course runby myself, Mike Brookes(Swaledale MRT), ValCochrane (Glossop MRT), IanJohnson & Sonya Jones(Bangor Hospital) with the aimof teaching new methods ofgiving strong pain relief tocasualties so that our previousgold standard of intramuscular(IM) morphine is slowlyreplaced by better techniques.The first course was held atPlas y Brenin in December andfurther courses are planned inthe North East and PeakDistrict in 2008. Participantsneed to be Casualty Carersthat are ready to move on fromIM morphine, so it’s not foreveryone particularly as thereis homework before thecourse! We look at fentanyllozenges, intranasaldiamorphine and intravenousmorphine, discuss the prosand cons and related issuessuch as treating nausea andvomiting, and respiratorydepression. With ongoing localmedical support, participantsshould be able to deploy theirchosen technique in the field.We are hoping to set up anational audit to assess thesenew techniques by using astandard pain scoring system.This is really very exciting andan important piece of work toimprove the care of ourcasualties.

John EllertonMRC Medical Officer

A request was made at a recent MRC meeting that thediscussions of the ‘executive’ meetings be circulated.So here we are...

MEMBERS OF LLANBERIS MRT WITH THE HUMMER�

The Ordnance Survey Outdoors Show inMarch was a roaring success for MountainRescue in general and Basecamp in particular.This year’s event felt so much more buzzy thanprevious events, when footfall had seemed to bedropping year on year. But no, with zip wiresscreeching over our heads, aspirant caversjumaring up and down imaginary caverns behindus and the unfailing magnetism of that big, shinyyellow thing (eyes right) there was definitely abuzz about the Mountain Rescue stand.

This was the first time Cave Rescue andSARDA had joined us at the event, and – as isever the case – our four legged friends tookcentre stage drawing oohs and ahs in equalmeasure to the Hummer. So thanks to OrdnanceSurvey for giving us a corner space big enough toaccommodate the two vehicles (Edale also had ateam vehicle on display), plus ten or so mountainrescuers, a dog a day and a mini gazebo housinga variety of merchandise. OS had also suppliedtwo complimentary tickets per team, prior to theevent, and it was good to be visited throughoutthe weekend by colleagues, and their families,from across England and Wales.

The Hummer has been donated for a year,to be shared amongst a number of teams.Without doubt, the most hopeful question of theweekend (besides ‘How many miles does it do tothe gallon?’) was whether this was actually a raffleprize... sadly not the case. But perhaps it’ssomething we should think about? No pressurethere then Hummer!

We were also able to deliver severalpresentations about the work we do. AndySimpson and Graham Dalley (Rossendale &

Pendle MRT) gave an overview, and explainedhow to go about joining a rescue team; BobDavey (Edale MRT) went through the life cycle ofan incident; and John Coombs and Biscuit (thereal star of the show) talked about search dogs.

As for Basecamp, the support group set uplast year, it was great to see many who signed upat last year’s show come back to say hello andgive some very positive feedback about themagazine. And, of course, to welcome the ninetyplus new members who joined our ranks thisyear. Basecamp membership now totals 200 andcounting. A massive thanks to Burton McCall andVictorinox for their continuing support of MR, notleast in the provision of a very sexy AltimeterSwiss Army Knife (worth £60) as a free gift toanyone signing up at the weekend. What that littlebeauty won’t do isn’t worth having!

Neil and I took the opportunity to chat toMatt Swaine, editor of Trail magazine, and he hasagreed to dedicate their Trail for Sale feature toBasecamp for a year, starting in January 2009.They will also give us regular newsbites topromote the support group – which we hope willhelp spread the word and swell the membership.

We also met with walkingworld.com (notbefore having circumnavigated the entire showseveral frustrating times to find them, soincomprehensible was the floorplan – but moreon that in a moment). The site is an onlineresource for walkers, which also encouragesthose new to the hills to extend their adventureswith more than 4000 routes, contributed by over200 walkers from around the country. The walkscome in a unique format making them very easyto follow, with photographs to illustrate everyimportant decision point and an OS map, so it’swell worth checking out the site. We can alreadythank them for a clutch of new members whoapproached us following an item they ranpromoting support membership.

It was good to meet our friends from theOrange House, who last year raised a substantialsum for mountain rescue in the UK with their HardRock Challenge. And, by happy coincidence, wewere positioned next to HF Holidays, who haveagreed to pop a Basecamp leaflet in every hotelroom, in every outlet they travel to.

So where to next? ‘Our aim is to continueincreasing the Basecamp membership,’ said NeilRoden, ‘and the Outdoors Show has certainly

given us a good start. The idea is not just to raisefunds to support all teams in England and Walesbut to raise awareness of our work amongstwalkers and climbers. So spread the word to yourfriends on the hill.’

And finally, thanks to all those who suppliedsome covetable prizes for the raffles on Saturdayand Sunday – specifically Towsure, WarwickshireClothing, Aquapac, Vaude, Jordans, YoemanOutdoor Leisure, Activ8.com, Regatta, DMM,Montane, Nikwax, DemandDVD, Silva, Paramo,Keela, Oswald Bailey and Ellis Brigham.

So that was the Outdoors Show 2008. Plansand ideas are already taking shape for next year’sevent. Which brings me round to the only beef Ihave about the whole thing (echoed by others Imet and, I feel sure, by many members of thepublic) – please can we have a floorplan diagramthat’s easier to read. I know my eyes might not bewhat they once were but, even with the 20:20 ofmy youth, I’d have been hard pushed to read theseemingly 0.5 point type on some of the smallerstands. Beef over! Great event OS – thanks forhaving us! Hope to see you next year.

Judy Whiteside Editor

M O U N T A I N R E S C U E M A G A Z I N EP A G E 6 A P R I L 2 0 0 8

Madillo – the new lightweight helmet from EdelridWhen you’re out on a shout you certainly have enough to carry in terms

of both weight and size, so anything to lighten your load is to be welcomed.And that’s where the new Edelrid Madillo helmet comes in. Weighing in atjust 380g, it’s not only super lightweight but folds up as well, reducing thehelmet’s volume by 50% to take minimal room in or on your sack.

Manufactured, of course, to conform to EN12492, the Madillo shell ismade from high strength,abrasion and impactresistant injected material.Two sorts of foam areutilised in the interior, EPPin the upper shell for its

shock absorption properties and EVA is used around the sides for comfort.The Madillo adjusts from 52cm to 62cm – easily achieved by gently pressingon the back of the helmet whilst in place on the head. The design of the rearof the helmet protects the neck, especially when the wearer is looking down.Oh... and it looks pretty good too!

Go towww.edelrid.de for more information.

RAFFLE PRIZES DONATED BY OUR FELLOWEXHIBITORS�

HUMMER MEETSVICTORINOX AT THEOUTDOORS SHOW

�

We’d love Basecamp members to tell ustheir own personal experience of mountainrescue, here in the mag. So why not emaileditor@mountain.rescue.org.uk with yourstories and images and watch this space infuture issues?

M O U N T A I N R E S C U E M A G A Z I N EA P R I L 2 0 0 8 P A G E 9M O U N T A I N R E S C U E M A G A Z I N EP A G E 8 A P R I L 2 0 0 8

LAKE DISTRICTWERE WE VICTIMS OF OUR OWNSUCCESS? WHAT HAVE WE DONEABOUT IT?Richard Warren writes... In the last issue wereported a significant increase in the numbers ofcall outs involving walkers venturing onto theLakeland fells ill prepared, ill equipped, and lackingexperience. The trend was a worrying one andsomething needed doing to halt the increase. TheMR(E&W) national campaign to educateinexperienced walkers began in December 2007with the partnership with Where-wolf grid referencefinder cards, reported separately in this regionalround up. The campaign came to a head during thelast weeks of January when the national media

latched onto newspaper headlines ‘RecruitmentCrisis for Mountain Rescue Teams in the LakeDistrict’ and the tragic winter walking fatalities onHelvellyn. A number of the Lakes teams wereapproached to give interviews for radio, television,magazines and newspapers. On 18 January themessage ‘Map + Compass + Torch + Know howto use’ was reiterated throughout national media,heard or seen by over 20 million listeners andviewers. But has this level of publicity worked?The stats for the Lake District are now in and 2007has been the worst year on record for incidents.428 call-outs concerning 557 people compared to395 in 2006 – an 8% increase although it is notevenly spread across the twelve team areas.Wasdale MRT saw a massive 50% increase andCockermouth 15% up on the previous year.Incident stats for 2007 are also in for England andWales. North Wales reports a 4% increase inincidents and similar numbers of people rescuedto those of 2006. Are the mountains becomingmore popular, more accessible or just promotedmore on the television?At the time of writing (4 March) the Wasdale teamwere already experiencing a 30% increase on lastyear’s incidents, having already taken twentyone‘999’ calls, nineteen of which required teammembers on the hill. Three of these occurred overa single weekend. Langdale Ambleside also seemto be spending more time on Crinkle Crags thananywhere else on their patch. The cause – illprepared, ill equipped, ill experienced.Interestingly one of the their call outs, whichoccurred within ten days of the media reports,was due to an ‘experienced’ pair of walkers whowere overdue, caught out by darkness whilst onCrinkle Crags. They had no torches but madetheir way slowly down the mountain by the glowfrom their mobiles until the Wasdale team foundthem, well down into Eskdale later that night. Atleast they were practising self-rescue and hadnot called the teams out themselves.So, what are we doing? LDSAMRA haspartnered up with Cumbria Tourism to get themessage across to visitors to the Lake District.Cumbria Tourism are sponsoring a bookletbased safety campaign and also featuringmountain rescue on their website and in theirWainwright walks. They are even putting theMR(E&W) logo on the back of the buses whichrun between Kendal and Keswick, to make thepublic more aware of the voluntary nature ofthe service provided by mountain rescue. Themessages are simple and clear – see left.

THE WHERE-WOLF GRIDREFERENCE CARD. ‘GET ONE ORGET LOST’The partnership with Where-wolf isprogressing well but needs your help. Theidea is to encourage members of the publicand youth groups to buy these cards, whichare no more than a simple and inexpensiveaid to accurately estimating a grid reference.Once the person has bought a card, itquickly becomes obvious to them that they

will then need adecent map to getany benefit from it.This will then leadon to buying acompass andlearning how touse it.Up to the end ofFebruary, Where-wolf had sold 648of the specialedition cards,generating over£300 for MR(E&W).In addition, 100 of these were bought by anoutdoor shop in Ambleside at £1 each, to be soldon at £2.50 with all profits to Langdale AmblesideMRT, and 100 by Wasdale/Cockermouth MRT. Thismethod of purchase will bring in funding to thelocal teams rather than nationally and is somethingI would encourage you to do for your own team.So, how can you get these cards, help the nationalcampaign and raise some funding for your ownteam? If you visit the Where-wolf website and giveJenny a ring, let her know you are a bona fidemountain rescue team or mountain rescue teamsupporter, and she will arrange delivery at £1 a cardfor minimum orders of 100 cards (if you only wantto buy 50, why not share the cost with an adjacentteam). To get the most out of the campaign youshould approach your local outdoor shops and askthem to sell them on their counters – they can buydirect from Where-wolf.The national fundraising team are currentlyexploring the idea of getting these cards on all theBlacks counters. From a local perspective, I paid avisit to Rheged in January and spoke to theirmanager. They were happy to get in touch withJenny and buy 300 there and then, with hardly anyarm twisting required. When you have a goodcause it is very easy to sell them. To find out more,just visit www.where-wolf.com. You neverknow you might just save a life and, I am sure,reduce the growing number of ‘avoidable call outs’.The next phase of the campaign is to expand thepartnership with other safety related outdoor itemssuch as torches, maps and compass and first aidkits (the ones shown on their site currently falloutside the campaign as they are not yet endorsedby Mountain Rescue but are being trialled byWhere-wolf to test the level of interest).If you have any questions or comments on thisarticle, or indeed any of the Lake District articles orstatements, please contact me and I will ensureyou receive a response.

KESWICK’S THIRST RESCUE BEERREACHES NEW HEIGHTSKeswick Brewing Co is set to go national with itssupport for mountain rescue, with the help ofKeswick MRT and a launch event to be heldduring the Keswick Mountain Festival in mid-May.As the mountain festival is sponsored by JenningsCumberland Ale, brewed in nearby Cockermouth,their local team may well be invited to join in the

proceedings, adding a little competitive edge to thefun. Details of the event are being kept strictlyunder wraps while the safety and feasibility areassessed!Keswick Brewery was approached in early 2007 bythe Keswick team to brew a special beer for theteam’s 60th anniversary. Phil and Sue Harrison atthe brewery had been looking for an imaginativeway to support the work of the team, so this wasan opportunity not to be missed and the idea of‘Thirst Rescue’ was born. Sue takes up the story.‘We were really pleased to create a beer for thisspecial occasion. We decided upon the recipe andtook up the team’s suggestion for the name, ThirstRescue*. To start with, we made a small quantity

to try in a local pub until we knew how well it wouldsell, but we soon needed to make another brew!We were really pleased with the positive responsewe had to the beer, all the more so as we were alsocelebrating the first anniversary of Keswick BrewingCo.’ (*Almost all of the brewery’s beers are prefixed‘Thirst’, following a mix-up with the printers in theearly days. The very first beer was to be called ‘FirstRun’ but, over the phone... well, you can guess)!The 4% ABV, malty bitter – with its golden colourand a balance of spicy hops – was launched tocoincide with the inaugural Keswick MountainFestival, in May 2007. During the last year, ThirstRescue has sold up and down the country, all theway from Scotland to the Isle of Wight, raising theprofile of mountain rescue, the Keswick team andthe brewery. With so many pubs today having theflexibility to offer a guest beer it has proved to be avery popular choice.Just one pub declined, fearing it might jeopardisethe support and fundraising they provide to theirlocal rescue team, which is fair enough. Sue hascome up with a new idea for donations thatovercomes this potential stumbling block, as pubscan also choose to support their local rescue team.The Dog & Gun in Keswick, where there are usuallytwo or three Keswick Brewing Co beers on tap,regularly sold out during the summer of 2007 as itproved, so popular.

As planned, brewers Phil and Sue have sincereinvented the Thirst Rescue recipe as they wouldlike to add it to their permanent beer list. ‘Tocomplement our range, which includes manystronger and slightly darker beers, we’ve created alighter, golden bitter at a lower strength of 3.7%ABV – a really good session ale. We’ve combinedthree types of malt and blended five types of hops,to give a special, golden bitter with aromas of citrusand exotic fruit.’The new recipe will be relaunched at the Dog andGun. The existing, darker and stronger ThirstRescue recipe will run at least until the spring,when the brewery celebrate their secondanniversary and Keswick’s 60th anniversary yearfinally draws to a close.The brewery are donating 5p from every pint soldof the new recipe beer. ‘We hope some pubs willalso contribute by matching or beating ourdonation.’ The donation from the brewery can go tothe regional body, MR(E&W) or Scotland. Anycontribution from the pub itself can go to their localteam or a team of their choosing or simply beadded to the regional or national donation.‘The Dog and Gun in Keswick has a long history ofsupporting the Keswick team. They hope to put onThirst Rescue as a regular beer and have alreadysaid they will match our 5p per pint donation!’added Phil Harrison.The team are delighted that the beer can be soldand supported in this imaginative way to benefitrescue teams all over the country and not just inKeswick. The picture on the pump clips will beupdated for the Thirst Rescue relaunch in May toreflect the wider MR community. Look out for it in apub near you – or why not ask your local to getsome in? Cheers!

PENRITH VEHICLE SEEKS NEEDY TEAMIn May 2007 Penrith MRT set itself theambitious target of raising a sum sufficient to fundthe purchase of three new vehicles to replace theexisting fleet. Through a combination of fundraisingevents, an unexpected bequest and two generoussponsors the team is close to achieving its

DATES2008

New DMM products are heading to the shops very soon, including thelong awaited Offset Nuts (formerly made by HB Climbing). The LockingRevolver has been in great demand and is now available in all threelocking versions. Also the new range of harnesses is also going to beavailable in the second week of February. The Renegade and Mavericknow come in three sizes and benefit from Quick Buckles. The Viper is anexcellent entry level harness which also has Quick Buckles, three sizesbut no floating waistbelt. For the younger climber we also have a fullbody harness (Tomkitten) and a kid’s sit harness (Tomcat). Newchalkbags and ropebags complete the latest offerings for the Spring2008.Check out our website for details of the new forging press we are

installing. It is a massive statement of our intent to not only maintain ourmanufacturing base here in Llanberis, but to enhance it, and makeourselves more efficient in production.For more information about ourproducts please visitwww.dmmwales.com

News from DMM

�REVOLVER SCREWGATE

Plan properly

and have a safe day on the hills.

Remove any of the three legs and the

safety of the stool is compromised, as is

your personal safety.

THE THREE LEGGED STOOL

What If... I get lost?

* Retrace your steps backto a known point

on the map.

* Use map and compass tonavigate yourself

down.

* Seek help from other passing walkers.

* Do not follow streams down to the valley

bottom unless you are sure there are no

hidden waterfalls and ravines.

* If you are totally lost and in danger shout

for help, 6 blasts on your whistle or 6 flashes

with your torch.

* If no help is availableand you are not

equipped to safely get down, wait for visibility

to clear or morning to break... if you are at

serious risk, as a last resort use your mobile.

* Dial ‘999’ and ask for POLICE then

MOUNTAIN RESCUE.

* Give details of who youare, how many in

your group and their condition, where you

have been and describe your location.

* Wait to be contactedby the mountain

rescue team and do not move unless asked

to do so.

* Make yourself safe andkeep out of the

wind and rain.

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fundraising target and has placed orders for twomodified Land Rover 110s and a modified RenaultMaster van. Now they wish to share their goodfortune with any team that’s in need of a vehicle butshort of funds. They are offering one vehicle fromthe existing fleet free of charge to the first deservingteam that contacts them. The vehicle will beavailable from the first week of June and interestedteams should contact the team chairman. The LandRover Defender 110s are modified for MR use andcarry blue lights and livery but are over twentyyears old. The LDV Minibus is likewise liveried andfitted with blue lights and is some thirteen yearsold. All three vehicles are low mileage.Penrith MRT emphasise that the vehicles are beingoffered for use by another team, not for selling on!If interested, contact team chairman Peter Baker atIsobella Carlton House, Tynefield Drive, Penrith,Cumbria CA11 8JA. Telephone 01768 88286 ormobile 07 999 777 609.

MID PENNINETEAM LEADER GETS MBEBolton MRT team leader Garry Rhodes wasawarded the MBE in the Queen’s New Year’sHonours list. In his time with the team, he hasattended more than 900 incidents, but says the onewhich stands out most was a helicopter crash onBrinscall Moor near Chorley in February 2000 whenhe was part of the first ground rescue team to reachthe scene only to discover the three people onboard had died. ‘It was the first time I had seen theaftermath of a plane crash and it was horrible,’ hesaid. A more lighthearted moment came whenteam members were called out as they wereattending a Roman-themed fancy dress party. Theyrushed to the incident – a man who was injuredafter falling into the River Croal – still wearing togasbeneath their waterproofs and make up. Soggybedsheets all round then?

EMERGENCY CONTROL CENTRE READYFOR ACTIONNorth West Ambulance Service Trust opened itsnew Emergency Control Centre at Broughton nearPreston in January, a development which shouldprove key to the working relationship betweenmountain rescue and the ambulance service inLancashire and Cumbria. The impressive facility,now one of the best in the country, aims tosignificantly improve the service to the customer.key factors include improved speed and quality callhandling, and a pledge to work in a moreintegrated way with their partner organisations. Adedicated Community First Responder/MountainRescue and Basics Doctor Desk will be responsiblefor deploying those resources. Once Call Connectis complete in April, the desk will also managedeployment of the Air Ambulance. The centre isnow looking at developing new ways to deploycommunity first responders, utilising newcommunications methods.

PEAK DISTRICTOUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE NEWBuxton MRT put their replacement frontlineoperational response vehicle into service inJanuary and was en route to its first callout on thesame day. The new Land Rover 110, which wasfunded by public donations, was delivered to theteam in September 2007 and underwent significantconversion and fitting out. The result is a first class,off road vehicle capable of carrying all thenecessary rescue equipment and five teammembers to an accessible position closest to acasualty site. Fitted with modern communicationsystems and incident lighting equipment, thevehicle can also safely transport a casualty on astretcher down rough tracks to meet a waiting landor air ambulance. The Land Rover is also the firstmountain rescue vehicle in the country to feature aunique roof loading system permitting safe carriageand dismounting of rescue equipment. Much of theconversion work was done by team members butwas completed with the generous co-operation ofseveral local suppliers and specialists.Mountain Rescue (England & Wales) negotiated ascheme direct with Land Rover enabling mountainrescue teams to receive a substantial discount andBuxton were one of the first teams in the country tobenefit from that. Purchase of the vehicle, whichmeets all the new ambulance and emergencyvehicle regulations, was only possible with a greatdeal of public support and generosity. The teamwish to say a big thank you to all those whocontributed and particularly to the major sponsors,the Bingham Trust, Buxton Mayoral Charity, BT,Brittania Building Society Foundation, the SteeleCharitable Trust and High Peak Borough Councilwhich together raised the required £35,000.Within twelve hours of the vehicle being declaredready for action the first callout of the year wasreceived with both Buxton and Edale rescue teamsresponding to a call for help from a group of fivepeople stranded in bad weather and darkness onKinder Scout. One member of the group wassuffering a medical problem so all the new vehicle’sequipment was tested to the full as the lady wascarried to safety.The team responds on average to over seventy callouts a year so the cost of the new vehicle will bequickly justified and many patients will be gratefulfor all the public help and generosity that have putit on the road.

PRIDE IN OLDHAMOldham MRT have won a Pride in OldhamAward for their work. The awards, sponsored by animpressive list of local companies and judged byan independent panel, pay tribute to the peopleand organisations that go the extra mile for theborough and its people. ‘Being nominated in thefirst place’, says the team’s quarterly Bulletin, ‘wasboth a pleasure and a surprise. Being told we hadbeen chosen as one of the top prize winners alongwith an invitation to a special luncheon was abigger one.’

Five team members attended the lunch, whichturned out to be a glittering event delivered in ahighly professional manner that would have donejustice to any Oscars ceremony. The award waspresented between the lunch courses and the threefinalists in each group received a speciallyproduced Oldham Chronicle ‘Front Page’ in a giltframe. The presenters then opened a goldenvelope to announce the category winner.‘For the group winner,’ ran the spiel, ‘the winnersare... (a short pause is customary here)...’ then

‘Oldham Mountain Rescue Team’, followed by thejudges’ comments that the team ‘are an Oldhaminstitution whose round the clock availability hassaved many lives over the years. Worthy winners.’The trophy was then presented to delighted(understatement!) team members by JohnSheridan, manager of Oldham Athletic FC.

SOUTH WALESBIG BLACK MOUNTAINS CHALLENGEOnce again Longtown MRT will be runningtheir Big Black Mountains Challenge on Saturday17 May, sponsored by Trekitt Mountain Sports andCotswold Outdoor, all proceeds going to the team.For details of the three challenging walks/runs senda stamped addressed envelope to Big BlackMountains Challenge, Longtown MRT, PO Box 120,Abergavenny NP7 7WU.

SOUTH WESTDARTMOOR RESCUE TRAININGWEEKEND, 14–16 NOVEMBERDRG welcome all members of rescue teams tothis annual training weekend, which is both avehicle for sharing skills and an opportunity toenjoy ourselves. In their fortieth anniversary year,the team hope this event will build on the successof last year’s event and bring the biggest trainingweekend ever. The plan is to make things evenmore interesting – no details of how as yet! Thecost to all is £15, which covers the cost of the eventincluding food, accommodation and otherexpenses. For further details and an applicationform, please contact Phil Hayter ondrg.gensec@blueyonder.co.uk.

Star dog joinsInland Searchand Rescue

TeamThe Isle of Man Inland Search

and Rescue team has a new

member. Two year old collie Star,

trained by Isle of Man Civil Defence

volunteer training officer Jim

MacGregor, has qualified as a

novice lowland search dog,

following a weekend of

assessments by the search and

rescue dogs organisation in Wales.

Jim, a geography teacher at

St Ninian’s High School in Douglas,

started training Star when she was

a twelve week old puppy.

He explained, ‘The training is

very play-driven, incorporating

finding people using a scent for the

reward of a toy. Star can now work

in any location – mountain, coastal,

woodland or parkland – anywhere

on the Isle of Man.’

Star’s assessment involved

three tests over two days. Each time she had to find a body in a different location. ‘She’s now

suitable to work on all Isle of Man terrain and will be reassessed in a year’s time,’ Jim went on.

‘What makes her technique different from other dogs is the way she indicates a find – she’ll go

to the body, shuttling between me and the find until she gets us together.’

Star is IOM Inland Search and Rescue’s second qualified search dog joining Lola, trained

by former coastguard volunteer Matt Creer who recently took up a post with the IOM

Constabulary.

The Island’s Emergency Planning Officer Martin Blackburn, Head of the IOM Civil Defence,

said, ‘Search and rescue dogs are a very useful asset to the emergency services. They can

cover a lot of ground very quickly and there have been numerous occasions when search dogs

have saved the lives of casualties in the UK.

‘Jim has been a very dedicated member of the Civil Defence volunteers and made a great

personal contribution in terms of the time and money he has spent to get Star to this standard.

We are also grateful to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, which assisted Jim and Star to

travel to Wales for training and assessments, St Ninian’s High School for its assistance and

understanding, and to Jim’s team of volunteer dog’s bodies who are essential for her training.’

The Isle of Man Civil Defence currently has 45 volunteers who train weekly to ensure the

island community has assistance to deal with major incidents ranging from a chemical or

biological threat to floods and storm damage. They also undertake searches for missing persons

including hill search and rescue. For more information on the island’s search and rescue dogs,

visit www.sardaiom.org.

Inspired BungeeWhat happens when a hobby inspires an

idea, the idea becomes a range of productsand these products lead to a successfulbusiness? Well... at some point, it’s time togive something back.

This is certainly the case with Slidetite. Anear accident with an old fashioned bungeecord whilst packing for a holiday led to theinvention of a fully adjustable hook. In no timeat all, Slidetite became a full range of productswhich guarantee you can secure loads of anysize rapidly, safely and securely. Soon Slidetiteproducts were circumnavigating the globe,being used by experts at the North Pole, SouthPole and all points between.

Slidetite’s owners, Pete and Anne Nolan,felt it was time to give something back. Beingpassionate hikers they were well aware of thework done by mountain rescue. The summerfloods of 2007 brought the message evencloser to home – Slidetite is based just outsideGloucester. This led to a collaboration with aLand Rover magazine to donate mini SlidetiteFlood Kits to multiple mountain rescue andother rescue organisations across the UK.(See last issue of MR Magazine.)

A current competition in ‘Land RoverMonthly’ could lead to your team getting abumper Slidetite kit! The competition is basedon ‘get one give one’. Winners get a bumperSlidetite kit for themselves and one is donatedto a mountain rescue team of their choice. Thecompetition ends on 30 April so keep an eyeout for a parcel in the post!

To find out more about Slidetite, call0141 416 3639 or email sales@slidetite.com.

A hybrid of perfectionIn the last few years the word hybrid has been thrown around a lot. Hybrid cars, hybrid plants and

hybrid golf. There is now a new hybrid on the scene – the amazing new Scuffer Trousers by Keela.Constructed from our latest Stretch-Tec Advanced fabric, this latest innovation by Keela is half climbing,half walking, 100% outdoor trouser. Tailor fitted using action ergonomics to ensure maximum wearercomfort all day long, the Scuffer trousers are water repellent with ‘feel it to believe it’ quick-drying propertiesand special built in ankle reinforcement to prevent boot rub. Designed to be the ideal year round choicefor outdoor enthusiast this hybrid combination has lead to the perfect balance of outdoor requirements.Perfection has arrived.

Like what you've read? Send and email with your details to competition@keela.co.uk and youwill be automatically entered into a lottery draw for a chance to win a pair of Scuffer Trousers for yourself.

SEARCH DOG STAR WITH HANDLER JIM MACGREGOR�

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Bowland Pennine MRT arguably has thelargest geographical area of any team inEngland and Wales. Penrith team might wellcontest the point and there is no doubt bothhave large pieces of territory to cover. Whatmust be less in dispute is the very diverseterrain in which Bowland Pennine operates.Vast tracts of moorland with a few isolatedcrags, rivers, lakes, canal, climbing quarries,urban parkland and extensive salt marshesare all here.

Phil O’Brien was very unassuming aboutthe relatively ‘non-mountainous’ nature ofsome of the patch but as we emerged fromthe Smelt Mill base into a freshening wind withrain and low cloud scudding over miles ofdeserted featureless moor the prospectlooked daunting and as ‘mountainous’ asmany higher hills in the country.

During 1962-63, the need for rescueservices in this region of the Pennines became

apparent. In fact two teams were born, bothPreston based. The South Ribble MRT and theNorthern Rescue Organisation operated sideby side until 1980 when their mergerproduced the current team. This was anamicable merger proving to be of great benefitall round and many members of the originalteams are still involved. No fewer thanseventeen people in the team are therecipients of long service awards. In 2005 theteam received the Queen’s Award forVoluntary Service.

The current membership totals 65, ofwhom 40 are on the active call out list, eightare trainees and the others carry out vitalsupporting roles. Fortunately, recruitment isnot a problem and difficulties are not foreseen.Perhaps a major factor is the close proximityof Preston, Lancaster, Blackpool and Chorleyas reservoirs of potential new members.

Phil has been team leader forthree years, having taken over fromTony Bond who very successfullysteered the ship during the previousten years. His involvement withmountain rescue goes back formany years having, like so manyothers, come into rescue from theVenture Scout movement. As ayoungster he was introduced to theoutdoor world by his father also aScout leader and associate of DaveLewis a well-known member ofBridgend MRT. His move fromscouting to rescue occurred over aweekend when he found that hisgroup in Carlisle had chosen to goon the hill with Ged Feeney andPenrith MRT. He decided to go alongand find out more and, within a short

time, was an active member of Penrith MRT.After three years, a move south meant leavingPenrith and joining Bowland Pennine. Quitequickly he became training officer, thendeputy team leader for eleven years beforetaking on his current role. Team leaders areappointed for periods of three years with amaximum of three stints.

His job is made easier by having a strong

supporting cast, among them ex-Royal MarinePhil Hill as training officer and Iain Nicholsonalso prominent with radio communications.

Covering such a large area is madeeasier by having excellent working relationswith adjacent teams, especially Kendal to thenorth and Rossendale and Pendle to the east.Regular joint training, which has also involvedHolme Valley, Bolton and recently the Isle ofMan teams, makes for smooth and seamlessoperations across nominal boundaries.

Within the team, special skill groups arerecognised. There is a strong SARDApresence with three dogs in training. Thepolicy is to involve dogs in every search callout. The team often calls on handlers fromKendal and the Cave Rescue Organisation.Iain Nicholson has also been having earlysuccess with using a dog in a trailing capacity,one of only two qualified handlers in thecountry, and it will be interesting to see thisdevelop.

A crag unit of twelve climbers keep a full‘pick off’ kit with them at all times. This isessential because of the widespread locationsof crags and quarries. Individuals are thusable to make their way directly to the incidentsaving valuable time before they can bebacked up by a full quota of team members.

An innovative group is the cycle unit offour members. There are within the patchmany easy access paths through forestry,remote valleys, Roman roads and alongsidethe canal. A very rapid search of these can beachieved by using mountain bikes. At presentthe members of this group use their own bikesbut the intent, now that it has proved its worth,is to have customised team bikes. More workfor the fundraisers. (This should not be aproblem if the article by Paul Durham in thelast magazine is recalled!)

Another new idea which has yet to cometo fruition has been the trial of ‘trackingteams’. There have been a few problems withthis but work is to go on to try and resolve theobstacles. The aim is to improve searchingskills and clue awareness.

Search management is important andPhil has attended the national course inBangor. Other members have also completedthe missing from home managers course withLancashire police. The team delivers asession on this annual course on the use andsearch abilities of MR teams in general.

Currently the team does not have its owndoctor. Training in casualty care is howeverwell provided by paramedics within the teamand Robert Stokes, team doctor withRossendale and Pendle, has been able tohelp out with examinations and assessments.The team strives to hold a casualty carecourse every year so there is always a regularmedical skills refresh.

Along with many other teams across thecountry there has been growing awareness ofthe dangers of proximity to water duringsearches. It is believed that the riskiest area inwhich the team have been called to work is

:team profile: Bowland Penninethe Ribble salt marshes and the team wascalled to the Morecambe Bay cocklingtragedy. In addition the Lancaster canal anda collection of rivers, lakes and reservoirs arescattered across the patch. There is now anactive programme to train ten members eachyear in water safety and again there is workfor the fundraisers to provide the appropriateequipment.

Looking at the large area covered it isnot surprising to find there are three teambases, although the one in Preston isbasically a garage to keep a vehicle in thesouth of the territory. The new building inGarstang now houses vehicles and most ofthe equipment. It is also being progressivelydeveloped to accommodate meetings andtraining sessions. There is clearly a lot of workto be carried out but the building is perfectlylocated and the enthusiasm with which it isbeing developed leaves no doubt it will becompleted to meet all requirements. Its sizeand convenient location also make it anotherideal venue for meetings such as the nationalteam leaders’ meetings and the team wouldclearly be delighted to host such occasions.

Smelt Mill in the midst of the moorland isan example of astute forward planning.Having started with ownership of one of fourterraced cottages the team now own all fourplus a recent extension to house a vehicle.This is an almost unique base within mountainrescue, providing residential accommodationas well as an operating base and trainingfacilities including a new climbing wall. Thefacilities are well used both within mountainrescue for team and regional training, andalso by a number of related groups such asDofE. There is, however,unused capacity at SmeltMill and the team wouldbe delighted to see moreuse of the building byother mountain rescuebodies for training ormeetings. The situationis ideal, with nothing butthe prospect of hill andmoorland in alldirections and acollection of wildlife thatkeeps the RSPBinterested. It is nosurprise to find awards,such as that from theL a n c a s h i r eEnvironmental Fund,displayed on the walls.

Phil is veryconfident of the team’sability to continue todeliver a high level ofservice into theforeseeable futureand this confidenceseems well placed.There are things he

believes can be improved. There is always theopportunity for better interteam training andworking and the same applies to working withother services, especially in the realms ofcarrying out searches.

He is impressed with the GPS mappingthat David Binks has developed and, havingused this in anger, believes it will play a muchgreater part in many incidents.

Lastly it is pleasing to note the activeinvolvement of the team with regional andnational matters. The team has long standingmembers on the equipment and financial sub-committees in Pete Taylor and Ian Ordishrespectively. Simon Harris chairs the GIS/GPSGroup. At regional level, the team currentlyprovides chair and training officer. The MidPennine representatives to the MRC havebeen regularly provided by Bowland Pennineand have participated in determining thecourse of mountain rescue as a whole.

TEAM HQ AT SMELT MILLPHOTO: DAVID MILLINGTON PHOTOGRAPHY LTD�

TEAM LEADER PHIL O’BRIEN

TEAM ON EXERCISE ON ANGLEZARKE MOOR– NOTE USE OF TELESCOPIC LADDER FOREASY ACCESS DOWN INTO THE MANYGULLIES IN AREA

�

Words by David Allanand Phil O’Brien

Although this term is in common usage, it is in factincorrect. It is wrong for two reasons. Firstly, the grouphas no executive power to make decisions. This isentirely the remit of the main MRC meetings. Secondly,even the term ‘executive officer’ is a misnomer as thisdoes not strictly exist and individuals do not have thepowers implied by the label.

The meetings have, in fact, become occasionswhen MRC officers with various responsibilities can lookat their areas of activity, compare notes and knock ideasabout. Initially the meetings were arranged around theMRC meetings to ensure any necessary information wasavailable and also to determine how decisions of themain meetings would be carried forward.

The membership at the outset was historic ratherthan rational. Some officers were included, others not.We have now moved to a position where all appointedofficers are invited and the size of the meeting hassignificantly increased, which does have disadvantagesin respect of time.

The frequency of meetings has been increased as itbecame apparent during 2007 that many issues werebeing carried over without the time to address them fully.There are now six meetings during the year. Some ofthese will be specific to topics such as strategic planningwhich is one of the subjects always postponed in areactive rather than pro-active environment.

Formal detailed minutes are not kept but notes ofthe main pointers are recorded especially in relation tomatters being referred from or to the main meetings.

So what has been discussed in recent meetings? InJanuary a detailed look at anticipated financial positionswas considered. In the past this was never necessarybecause a paucity of central money left little or noopportunity for planning to spend. The cautious successof national fundraising to date has changed the pictureand we can now consider making suggestions abouthow monies will be used. In relation to this, the value of,and requirement for, national training events was aired.With the imminent appointment of a training officer it wassuggested one of the first tasks of the post should be toanswer these questions. Discussions also revolvedaround the potential savings that could be made by thecentral purchasing of items common to most teams’ use.

The constitution has also occupied some time.There are pressing reasons from a Charity Commissionperspective why some changes are necessary and itseems appropriate to consider the whole at the sametime. There are the anomalies already referred to inrespect of officers and some other matters of detail. TonyRich will look at the discussion we held and turn this intoproposals for change to be put to the main meetings.

The next meeting is the one which will look atstrategic issues. Amongst these will be a detailedevaluation of our use (or not) of the website and how thismight be improved. Each officer will be invited to presenta five year outline of the aims, obstacles and demands oftheir area of involvement. There is always considerablecross over between the subcommittees’ interests and thisunderlines one of the values of these meetings wherethese overlaps (and occasionally conflicts) can be airedand resolved.

It’s our intention that the notes from these meetingswill appear on the members section of the MRC website.

David Allan

Criminal RecordsBureau Checks

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What other ways could you check thebackground of a person wishing to join yourteam without doing a CRB check?

Pick up two references, one from theircurrent employer, and the other from a pastemployer. This also gives you the opportunityto let their employer know about our service,allowing the new member to get time off workto attend incidents. Only use a personalreference if they are a young person without atrue work record.

Any employer that uses CRB checks willtell you it is only part of the checking processcarried out on someone, it should never bethe only check you do.

I hope all teams use a membershipapplication form for new members. Theseshould hold personal details such as next ofkin, medical conditions, driving details andoffences, if any. This document should be likeany employment application form. It couldhave a section for references taken. It shouldbe signed off to show they have been takenup, by whom and when.

If you decide as a team to take up CRBchecks, here are some points to think about

1: CRB checks for volunteers are free (atthe moment).

2: You need someone to countersignthe applicant’s form, your countersignaturewill need to be checked by the CRB and begiven a countersigning number. This person’sCRB check is more detailed than other checksbecause this person will be checking andrecording the details given by the applicant onthe CRB form. The countersignature will needto send their original documents to Liverpoolfor checking. Documents required are:–

� Passport� Driving licence� Birth certificate� Marriage certificate� P60 or P45� Banking detailsIt’s worth noting that CRB will not now let

any organisation countersign if you are notchecking more than fifty people per year, soyou will need to use an umbrella group to doyour checks. Question – would it be better forall the teams in your region to do checksthrough one person? This would be a big jobfor that person.

So you’ve decided you are going to dochecks. Every existing member will needchecking, then all new members, and this

check should be repeated every ‘xxx’ years –you will need to decide how often.

Team members will need to fill in theCRB application form, and provide three of theabove list of documents for the countersigningofficer to see, the officer will then take detailsfrom these papers. Only the countersigningofficer can take these details from the originaldocuments, copies will not do. The form willthen be sent off to Liverpool for checking,which can take some weeks.

You need to remember once you havestarted this exercise you will need to keep itgoing. Within my region – PDMRO – we’velooked at this in detail and have decided weare not going to do CRB checks for thefollowing reasons.

Would/do we have members workingwith or giving medical care to children, youngpeople or vulnerable adults on a one to onebasis without any other person about? Maybe,but this would be very rare. I know it onlytakes one small window of opportunity forsomeone to strike but if you risk assess this, itis very low.

Would we have new members givingmedical care or working with this group ofpeople by themselves? I hope not.

We think the best way of checking newmembers is through references. And there aresome good practices to follow if you areworking with children, young people orvulnerable adults, as follows.

Under NO circumstances shouldmountain rescue team members: -� Allow or engage in inappropriate touchingin any form.� Engage in rough, physical or sexuallyproactive games including horseplay.� Allow children to use inappropriatelanguage unchallenged.� Let allegations made by a child or youngperson go unchallenged or unrecorded.� Make sexually suggestive comments aboutor to a child ‘even in fun’.� Make sexist, racist or derogatory remarks.� Do things of a personal nature for childrenor young people that they can do themselves.� Spend excessive amounts of time alonewith children away from others.� Use any physical demonstrations ofaffection.� Take children alone in a car on journeys,however short.� Take children to their home.

If any team member has any doubtabout a colleague’s behaviour or attitudetowards children, young people or vulnerableadults, then it is vital these concerns arebrought to the attention of their team leaderand team chairman.

If you receive an allegation about a teammember:–� Immediately inform your team chairman.� Record all the facts as you know them.� Ensure no one is placed in a position thatcould cause further compromise.� All allegations or suspicions must bereferred immediately to the police.� On receipt of a referral, the team chairmanshould liaise with the police who, in turn, willco-ordinate with social services.� Internal discipline procedures should beinstigated.� Get support. Use your regional chairman orpeople like myself who are more than willingto give direction and advice, if and whenrequired.

Mountain rescue is perceived by thecommunity as a trusted public service withresponsible adult people working in it.However members cannot rely on the goodname of mountain rescue to protect them. Itis vital that members involved with children,young people or vulnerable adults maintain asense of vigilance and do not adopt the belief‘It could never happen to me.’

Mike France provides useful guidelines and background information forteams recruiting new members

What are the benefits for you as a rescue team of doing CRB checks? Well, it will tell youwhether the person you are checking has been prosecuted for an offence with children,young people or vulnerable adults. But bear in mind, if someone has not beenprosecuted it does not mean they have not committed an offence.

This paper has been put togetherto assist mountain rescue teamsrecruiting new members. I’veincluded some ‘good practice’members should adopt whenworking with children, youngpeople and vulnerable adults. Bearin mind that other child careprofessionals may advise youdifferently – always seek advice ifyou are unsure.

Mike France is chairman of thePeak District Mountain RescueOrganisation and childprotection officer/CRBcountersigning officer forNational Children’s Centre.

Childline: 0800 1111

The Light Roll, a newemergency lighting concept usingelectroluminescent wire, provides acompact, flexible and portablelighting solution for emergencyresponders. Brought to the UK bySurelight, it’s set to revolutionise the

way lighting is used on rescue missions, and help increase the capabilities ofemergency services in a variety of different areas. A heavy duty cord reelcarrying 50 metres of illuminated wire with a karabiner attached to the end,provides a completely portable lighting solution in any low light situation,including search and rescue missions, evacuations or diving.

Key features:–� Powered by AA batteries (2 sets of 12)� Life of up to 16 hours (based on two sets of batteries)� Bright way guidance system and demarcation line� Can be relocated quickly and easily to indicate the quickest andeasiest path or exit, as well as indicating hazards.

It can be handled as easily as a typical cable reel, packing away into acompact, sturdy and portable case which protects the spool when not in useand will even float if lost overboard. The wire itself can be unwound, steppedon, bent, and tied many times without any damage and is also waterproof,allowing it to be used for underwater and diving applications. The Light Rollsystem is an incredibly versatile tool that aims to improve the overall safetyof responders and survivors alike.

For further details please contact Katie Trowse,Sales and Marketing on +44 (0)114 236 1606, emailkatie@olmec.co.uk or check out www.surelight.com.

Light Roll Enhances the WayRescue Teams UseEmergency Lighting

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NightsearcherLighting Products

Nightsearcher Limited are UK manufacturers andsuppliers of a range of rechargeable floodlights,searchlights, head torches and flashlights to theemergency services, the military and industry aswell as mountain rescue. Qualified to ISO9000:2000, our high quality professional productsare designed to give many years service, andseveral are NATO stock codified.Products include the Panther (shown above), avery powerful patrol handlamp with both distancespotlight and local area floodlight beams.Recently introduced is the Panther HID, whichhas all the benefits of the normal Panther rangebut in addition, offers the latest technology ofHigh Intensity Discharge Xenon lighting with thesecondary lower level light using the powerfulLuxeon 3-Watt Star.Another addition to our flashlight range is theExplorer, one of the most powerful rechargeableLED flashlights available, utilising the latesttechnology, Cree® Xlamp® XR-E LED (3.5w).Nightsearcher continues to develop its range ofrechargeable fluorescent floodlights with theintroduction of the Megastar, the most powerfulportable rechargeable floodlight. Another popularrechargeable floodlight is the Maxi 9000 with twofluorescent tubes with various wattages switchingfrom single to double according to required lightoutput. For a catalogue, please contactBernadette Grima on 023 9238 9774 or emailbern.g@nightsearcher.co.uk

Webmaster Wanted by MR(E&W)Following the retirement of Paul Baxendale as webmaster, we urgently need to recruit someone with the necessarytechnical and interpersonal skills to take his place. You will be working with the Publications and InformationSubcommittee (PISC) but expected to operate within a small group of experts, both technical and editorial, to takeour website to the next level. Currently the MR(E&W) site and services are hosted from a server which is owned byus but sits in a computer room owned by Zetex plc in Oldham. They kindly provide this service, together with power,aircon, security, internet connectivity etc, free of charge as a service to the community. This is a unique position asit means we can do whatever we like, without incurring cost or having to work through an ISP.

You will need the following technical skills:–• Unix systems administration • Comfortable coding in php • Experience of apache, php, mysql installation andmaintenance • Familiarity with phpBB2, CMSMS, majordomo a distinct advantageAnd the following personal attributes:–• An inside knowledge of the workings of MREW a distinct advantage • Ability to work as part of a team

As with all appointments within the national body, the webmaster will need to make a substantial commitment of timeand energy in addition to his/her team responsibilities and be able to execute developments in the website in atimely and efficient manner in order for us to move the project forward.

If interested, please contact Andy Simpson at press@mountain.rescue.org.ukor call on 0161 764 0999 (W), 0161 764 5211 (H), 07836 717021 (M).

Rescue Training at Glenmore LodgeGlenmore Lodge has developed its most comprehensive range of rescue courses for 2009, designed tocompliment your own team training programmes. With sixty years of outdoor education and mountain rescueexperience behind us, what can we do for you?Foundation to mountain rescue brings team members up to speed in one concentrated five daypackage to cover summer and winter. For newer members of the team, or those needing an update, theessentials of being a member of a mountain rescue team.Summer – all the essentials for summer with emphasis on the importance of working within small teamsand focus on the following skills – navigation (including GPS), security on steep ground, casualty handling,basic line search, anchor selection, rope work and basic stretcher lower. One day will also include theSwiftwater First Responder qualification to ensure team members have basic awareness on water issues.Winter – all the essentials for winter with emphasis on the importance of working well within small teamsand being able to ‘winterise’ your team members with the following – personal movement, avalancheawareness, winter navigation and casualty management, winter belays/anchors, transceivers, probing andwinter stretcher lower.Rigging for Rescue explores the latestconcepts in rigging for rescue, looking not tospecialised gear but more towards getting the bestfrom our common rescue equipment. Theseworkshops will challenge what you know and aim togive you solutions to those unusual problems manyteams have encountered. It is recommended thatthose signing up are competent with rope work andanchors. This two day course tests the conceptswith steep ground scenarios. Dates are availableboth summer and winter.Tailor Made Team Training Designedthrough close liaison with your training officer, thiscourse can take many forms, from a general full team training at the Lodge to specific on site training in yourpatch.Take a look online to see what we offer. Go to www.glenmorelodge.org.uk Or, for specific teamneeds, email shaun.roberts@glenmorelodge.org.uk

�PANTHER HAND TORCH

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EXPLORER FLASHLIGHT

Now you can enjoy the perfect hillwalkers’pint – bottled and kegged!

Trail magazine has bottled a new walkers’ beer – Trail Ale – following the success of the draught version launched inNovember last year. Designed with the help of readers’ suggestions, the ale is now on sale in 500ml bottles and 5 litrekegs. The unique hillwalkers’ brew from the Great Gable Brewing Co is also still on tap at the Wasdale Head Inn. Headbrewer Howard Christie describes Trail Ale as ‘a light, bright, 3.8% alcohol, easily drinkable session ale designed torefresh and rehydrate thirsty mountaineers after a testing adventure.’5p from every £3 bottle goes to Wasdale MRT and the kegs – retailing at £25 – will also raise money for the team, theexact amount to be decided soon. Team chairman Richard Warren said, ‘Trail Ale on tap has already raised £540 formountain rescue, and we are thrilled that beer-loving hillwalkers and climbers can continue to support us by buying thebottled version.’Follow the instructions on the label on the back of the bottle, and you canget three copies of Trail magazine for just £3, saving you £8! Trail’s editorMatt Swaine said, ‘It’s great for walkers to be able to support the Wasdaleteam while they celebrate their latest hillwalk with a pint, bottle or keg of TrailAle from the Wasdale Head Inn.’

TRAIL READER BOB AVERYENJOYS A BOTTLE OF TRAIL ALEON A WALK TO ANGLE TARN

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TORRIDON TRAINING AT GLENMORE LODGE

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Preparing for theunexpected

When a major incident occurs how canyou be sure your organisation is ready torespond efficiently and professionally? Thekey lies in ensuring all members of yourresponse team are adequately trained andhave exercised their skills in a safe learningenvironment. The Health Protection Agency’sCentre for Emergency Preparedness andResponse provides exactly those conditionsthrough its extensive training and exerciseprogramme, all elements of which can betailored to meet your requirements and at acost to suit your budget.

TrainingThe Emergency Response Training Team

delivers a range of courses which seek toimprove the emergency services’ ability torespond to incidents and emergencies.

Flexible solutions are offered where thelength, structure, content and emphasis canreflect the needs and requirements of anyclient organisation. Bespoke courses such asthose detailed, can be held in-house to assistboth public and private sector organisationsto equip themselves and prepare for theunexpected.� Loggists’ Course

A day and a half intensive course on theimportance of evidential records anddocuments in any post-incident legalproceedings. Notes are reviewed usingobjective assessment criteria and constructivefeedback is given to strengthen writing skills.

The course gives an overview of the potentialthreats and the role of key players, usingtailored case studies in an interactive way.�Health Emergency Planning(Fast-track)

Building on the success of theEmergency Planning Officer’s trainingmodules for Acute and Mental Health Trusts,Primary Care Trusts and Strategic HealthAuthorities, the HPA, in partnership with theEmergency Planning College, now offer thisfive day training course covering the principlesof emergency preparedness and its relevanceto the organisation, an understanding of thedevelopment of emergency plans andguidance on the internal audit and evaluationof emergency plans. The course is suitable forthose who wish to enhance knowledge ofhealth emergency planning procedures.� Emergencies on Trial

This one day course provides an insightinto giving effective evidence from the witnessbox, designed for all who deal withemergencies. Delivered by an experiencedlawyer, delegates will learn theirresponsibilities and accountability at publicinquiries and in proceedings when theiractions are on trial�Geographic InformationSystems (GIS)

GIS technology is increasingly used tobring together geographically referenced data(data that can be ‘mapped’) into an integratedsystem for emergency response and

situational awareness. This one-day courseis designed to introduce delegates to theconcepts of GIS and its applications inemergency response. It will provide anintroduction to the types of commercialsystems available, sources of data and typesof analysis that might typically be used anddelegates will have the opportunity to see anoperational GIS in action.

ExercisesThe Health Protection Agency’s Centre

for Emergency Preparedness and Responsealso offer bespoke exercises to test theresponses of organisations during incidents.These are designed to meet the needs ofyour organisation in testing, both the staffand the emergency procedures and maycover a range of scenarios ranging, forexample, from flooding to avian flu.

Previous clients have included thedevolved administrations of Northern Ireland,Scotland and Wales where exercises were

developed to test responses to a deliberaterelease of biological agents, SARs andpandemic influenza.

In February 2007, the Agency wasresponsible for designing and facilitating‘Exercise Winter Willow’, the largest commandpost/tabletop exercise ever held in the UK.This exercise was based on an influenzapandemic and tested the responses of over5,000 personnel from across Governmentdepartments and allied agencies.

Other bespoke commercial exercisesalso included ‘Exercise Phoenix’ which was atwo day command post exercise for the worldfamous bi-annual Farnborough International,the world’s largest business air show. ExercisePhoenix tested the responses of theorganisers and associated agencies to aseries of incidents during the seven day event.

The exercise team who design anddeliver bespoke exercises have a vast rangeof experience across the whole of thecommercial spectrum, from small to mediumsized enterprises through to multi-nationalcompanies across the globe. Exercises rangefrom off the shelf products, tabletop,command post and communications, to liveexercises of any size or complexity.

Centre for Emergency Preparedness andResponse, Health Protection Agency, PortonDown, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP4 0JG.

For more information on these or any other training coursesplease contact the Training Team on 01980 619900. Fax 01980 612968.

For the Exercises Team call 01980 619954or email emergencyresponse.training@hpa.org.uk or see the HPA

website at www.hpa.org.uk

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Expedition Medicine is the leadingprovider of expedition medicine andwilderness courses, both here in

the UK and overseas.

2008/2009 CoursesEML UK Course

9-12 September 2008 & 23-26 March 2009set in Keswick, Cumbria

Polar Medicine Course15-21 February 2009, Norway

Desert Medicine Course17-23 August 2008, Namibia

Diving and Marine Medicine Course18-24 October 2008, Oman

Jungle Medicine Course9-15 November 2008, Costa Rica

Coming soon – Mountain Medicine course2009, Nepal

www.expeditionmedicine.co.uk

Expedition and wildernesstraining in medicine

Expedition Medicine is the leading provider of expedition andwilderness medical training courses, here in the UK and overseas. Theexpedition medicine faculty aims to prepare both medical professionalsand expedition members for the rigours of providing medical care andleadership in areas far from advanced medical facilities, providing theskills and practical knowledge to become valuable members of anexpedition team. We currently run five courses – the EML UK course,set in Keswick and, from May 2009, Dartmoor; the polar medicinecourse, in Norway; the jungle medicine course, in Costa Rica; the desertmedicine course in Namibia and the diving and marine medicine courseset in Oman. We are also planning a new course in Nepal for 2009 – amountain medicine course covering basic rescue techniques, altituderelated illness and medicine in remote areas. To find out more, go towww.expeditionmedicine.co.uk

Well for a start, the clue is in the word‘motionless’. The guardsman has beenstanding for quite some time withoutexercising his legs and using the body’s lowerlimb muscles to aid the pumping of the bloodback to the heart (venous return). So, in effect,the blood begins to pool. Blood that poolssoon becomes oxygen free (stagnanthypoxia), and a natural build up of toxins,which are unable to be excreted, gathers inthe lower limbs.

According to Dolan B & Holt L 2000 ‘thistype of hypoxia can occur at a local levelwhere vascular obstruction causes areduction in blood flow distal to theobstruction’. This sudden collapse or pre-syncopal condition is actually the body’s ownpersonal fall protection.

On at least two occasions I haveexperienced this phenomenon myself, oncewhen I had been standing in the sameposition for what seemed like ages, on apractice with the Upper Wharfedale team.Fortunately, I was aware what was going onand shuffled about till the faintness subsidedbut, if it happened to me, it could just as easilyhappen to you!

The mechanics of suspension trauma?Basically, the venous return is affected,pooling of the blood occurs in the lower limbsdue to gravity and loss of muscle pump, andthis can consume a staggering 20% of thecasualty’s circulating volume. This soon leadsto cerebral hypoxia which is fine if, like me,you were stood still in a safe place, once youcollapse to the ground your blood autotransfuses back into your circulatory systemand you regain consciousness, a shift of that20% back to where it is needed. However ifyou’re stood near a rift, on a ladder, and notsecured to any safety equipment the potentialfor disaster is raised.

Now add to this equation that you’re aclimber on a cragfast rescue, your harness istight and ill fitting (too many out of date Marsbars!) and very narrow material. This beginsto dig into your femoral veins and, after sometime, begins to have a tourniquet affect onyour lower body affecting your thoracicpressure. It’s at this point that it moves fromwhat was a simple faint (syncope) to asuspension trauma. It could be that thecasualty is suspended vertically unconsciousand/or injured, unable to move due to fear,

hypothermia or hypoglycaemic. There may beother factors putting you more at risk, includetraumatic injury, causing hypovolaemia,dehydration and pain. Or he could be just oldfashioned stuck?

Now add prolonged vertical suspensionof over thirty minutes to what we have alreadydiscussed and a different problem arisesaltogether. The pathology of prolongedcirculation deprivation can cause a build up ofpressure, hazardous toxins and electrolyteimbalance. In essence it is similar to aprolonged crush injury, or compartmentsyndrome. The body contains many individualcompartments and it’s these that are affected.In the case of major femoral blood vesselobstruction, the worse case scenario is thattoxins are released back into the blood streamwithout being diluted or a controlled release,which can cause global organ failure anddeath. This has been documented in the pastin a totally innocent fashion, where the rescuerhasn’t taken into consideration the pathologyof the incident.

The groups at risk? First and foremostwe are potentially at risk. Of course ourcasualties are at risk but, if we can identifyearly the potential hazard of this conditionoccurring, it’s one more string to our bowwhen considering how best to initiatetreatment of the casualty. Keep moving anddon’t have your harness too tight – rememberthe best protection is our own intellect.

Methods of extrication? If the suspensionhas been short in duration, less than thirtyminutes, then a simple rescue lowering themto the ground and elevating the limbs wouldsuffice. However this is unlikely, by the timethe team is mobilised and arrives on scene, itcould well be over forty minutes. So it at leastwarrants a passing thought.

Something to take into considerationwhen one suspects crush syndrome,associated with suspension trauma –according to Wyatt, Illingworth, Clancy, Munro& Robertson, 2004, ‘symptoms depend on theunderlying cause but muscle pain, tendernessand swelling may not be present at the time ofadmission’. They go on to say, ‘adequatepulses distally do not rule out a compartmentsyndrome.’

If the casualty is found to have beenthere for over thirty minutes our treatmentmust take a fairly radical change. Try to keep

the casualty’s head higher than his/her legs(let gravity keep the toxins in the lower limbsfor now at least), avoid ischemic heart failure,and overloading of the right ventricle, byavoiding sudden venous return.

‘The casualty must be returned to thehorizontal position very slowly over a period of30 minutes’ (www.remotemedics.co.uk). Thisminimises the effects of the toxins releasedback into the vascular spaces. In effect youare treating the casualty as though he/she hasa crush syndrome injury.

The normal ABCs and primary surveyneed to be undertaken, plenty of observationswritten on the cascard. It is prudent to keep atrack of time scales, when dealing with such acase. Furthermore, high concentration oxygentherapy needs to be initiated as soon aspractically possible. If you have access toteam paramedics, nurses or doctors, theninitiate intravenous access and IV fluidmanagement to assist in diluting the toxins onrelease and effective analgesia. On the worsecase scenario the casualty may requireresuscitation, so IV access is a must.

The most suitable method of casualtyevacuation would be RAF SAR to a regionaltrauma unit.

The chance of us coming across asuspension trauma is slim and it is only apotential risk, however, it is still some thing totake into consideration next time you’re justhanging about.

Suspension traumaSteve Giles on harness induced pathology

What is suspension trauma? Well think of long hot days in June, you’re watching the trooping of the colourat the Horse Guard parade ground in London and, for no apparent reason, one of the motionless guardssuddenly collapses to the ground. Why would a normally fit and healthy soldier suddenly collapse?

Steve Giles is an active member of UpperWharfedale FRA and an ambulanceparamedic, giving specialist support tothe team in first aid and medical training.

ReferencesDolan B Holt L 2000Accident & Emergency Theory inPractice Baillere Tindall, London

Lee C Porter K 2007Suspension Trauma EmergencyMedical Journal 24:237-238. doi:10.1136/emj.2007.046391

Ross & Wilson K 1995Anatomy & Physiology In Health& Illness Churchill Livingstone, London

Wyatt J.P. Illingworth R.N. Clancy M.J. Munro P.Robertson C.E 2004Oxford Handbook of Accident &Emergency MedicineOxford University Press, New York

www.remotemedics.co.uk

www.suspensiontrauma.co.uk

With the increase risk of flooding and water rescue, the Rescue ProPersonal Flotation Device from Safequip is ideal for all flooding and swiftwater rescue activities.

It’s the ultimate PFD, manufactured from rip stop fabric and comprisingmany features including built in quick release belt, reflective panels forvisibility, and pockets complete with equipment clips. It is also available inthree sizes to ensure a safe fit for every wearer.

Safequip worked with a number of personnel within the emergencyservices in the development of the Rescue Pro, with one major goal beingto achieve the new ISO12402-5 certification (Personal Flotation Devices),the new standard after EN393 was made obsolete for approval in March2007. During the approval process, the Rescue Pro boasted up to animpressive 147N of buoyancy and gained its ISO certification in September2007.

Success has followed since its launch with a number of high profile fireand rescue services purchasing the Rescue Pro for their operationalactivities. In fact, the PFD is rapidly becoming the market leader within thissector.

For further information on this product and all Safequip’s other waterrescue equipment please view our online catalogue onwww.safequip.co.uk