MRI SAR Team Training

The type of incidents we deal with must obviously influence our training focus. Our operational analysis highlighted the change in incident type between the 1980s and 1990s, caused mainly by increasing safety standards and the declining fishing fleet.

Whereas previously the SAR team was regularly called out to fishing vessels more than 10 nautical miles from base and in moderate to rough sea conditions, nowadays, most incidents occur in Stonehaven Bay in slight seas. There continues to be however one or two incidents in very bad conditions each year. Obviously if the SAR team is not getting experience in moderate conditions, it makes the task of emergency response in rough or very rough sea states all the harder. Training therefore has become all the more imperative.

The SAR team meets every Thursday night and sometimes at weekends. Our inland waterway training ground is on the North Esk. 

The MRI SAR team takes a 'bottom-up' approach to training. By this we mean that emphasis begins with understanding the water even before being introduced to the boats. Team members regularly don dry suits and swim in surf, open sea and around the cliff foot. Climbing between cliff, water and boat increases awareness of water flow about rocks and cliff faces and gives a good insight into the casualty's perspective. This knowledge lends itself to being more aware of the combined dynamics of boat, water and cliff when charged as helmsperson and more sensitive to casualty needs.

All members also receive training in starting procedures, basic boat handling and emergency procedures of the SAR craft, though not all will necessarily be helmperson. Every crewmember ought to be able to handle the craft and control an emergency such as the helmsperson collapsing or going overboard. In addition, as with swimming in the water, experience of handling the boats provides the crewmember more awareness of the characteristics of that boat. Reducing surprises, helps reduce risk.

Some operations that are practiced or given experience of include:

  • towing (various types of craft, windsurf to trawlers)
  • pacing
  • casualty transfer
  • anchoring
  • cliff foot operations (including casualty transfer cliff to boat)
  • man-overboard
  • navigation work (using GPS, radar, local navigation aids)
  • awareness of local sea use (where and why creels are sited, types of fishing operation and associated machinery, sailing regattas)
  • communications and 'command and control' (joint exercise with coastguard and simulated in MRI command and control training unit)
  • search areas and patterns
  • helicopter operations (helicopter underwater escape training and joint exercises when possible)
  • joint operations with Aberdeen and Montrose RNLI
  • dive operations (dealing with divers, equipment, bends)
  • hypothermia, fatigue, stress and other medical considerations

Inland waterways, although employing some of the skills and awareness of maritime emergency response, is in truth a separate discipline requiring training. Again, the first stage is to swim in flowing water, be able to cross currents, move down river safely, break out into eddies and understand the surface clues of flowing water such as frowning or smiling holes. Ropework and then boat work is progressed to.

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(This sheet has been compiled from various information sources).