In the light of 2 recent drowning incidents and past incidents of a similar nature, the Team has reviewed how many Personal Flotation Devices (PFD) / Lifejackets, the Team should have for the protection of its Call Out Members whilst engaged in waterside Search & Rescue Operations. The Team currently has 18 PFD’s available for use and kept in our 4 Team vehicles (with two kept by our Search Dog Team).
The review has resulted in an urgent decision to purchase enough PFD’s for every single Call Out Member and these are to be issued on a personal issue basis, rather than be kept in Team vehicles. The Team has a provisional order, at present, for 27 PFD’s and whilst we are taking up this purchase the estimated cost in the region of £1,250 will make a huge dent in our current finances (see also above article on the cancellation of our Bolton Town centre collection day) we are therefore appealing to our readers to help support this purchase with any help on how to recoup this money.
It may of interest to our many and varied readers that at the recent Boscastle tragedy, Cornwall Rescue Group, were heavily involved in the search & rescue operation which took place there. (They are the newest MRT to form, we donated all our previous team clothing to them when we moved to our Keela kit.)