ISSN 1756-8749 £4.75 48 MOUNTAIN AND CAVE RESCUE IN ENGLAND AND WALES SPRING 2014 WELCOME TO 48 Mountain Rescue is the membership magazine for mountain and cave rescue in mobile installations ltd DAVID ALLAN APB England and Wales. first SPECIALISTBLUELIGHTEQUIPMENTINSTALLERS Word Contributions should be sent to the editor at the address below. The problem of preventing people getting into want their forays to be free from danger of any kind Every care will be taken of materials sent for publication difficulties in the hills was revisited at the recent team and, unfortunately, have been led to believe that this however these are submitted at leaders meeting. This has been aired on a number of is possible. the sender’s risk. occasions primarily from a position of trying to ‘It’s a round trip. Getting to the summit is optional, reduce the number of call-outs experienced by busy getting down is mandatory.’ These wise words of Ed EDITORIAL teams. On this occasion a new dimension was Viesturs do not seem to resonate with many people, Judy Whiteside added: Does mountain rescue have a moral attested by the fact that most incidents occur during 07836 509 812 responsibility when it witnesses people repeatedly descent, often due to lack of fitness and poor time [email protected] getting into potentially dangerous situations often in planning. Andy Simpson the same ‘black spot’ locations? Moving toward a larger preventative role would be 0161 764 0999 Earlier discussions have tended to focus on the a large step for mountain and cave rescue not least [email protected] absence of basic kit, map, compass and torch being because, in other areas, the measurement of success LEFT: WOODHEADMRTLANDROVER CENTRE: BUXTONMRTLANDROVER RIGHT: FIREBIKE Caroline Davenport the usual culprits. Whilst there’s no doubt this is a has only been achieved by means of rules and laws. 01270 878324 significant factor, it’s perhaps rather too simplistic. Witness the dramatic fall in serious injury following [email protected] UU Member of FIRESA and federation of communications services. There is increasing evidence of a lack of rapport with, the use of seat belts, only accomplished with mountain.rescue.org.uk and understanding of, the outdoor world in general legislation after several failed years of ‘clunk click, UU APB specialises in the installation of blue lights equipment into everything from and mountain environments in particular. More than every trip’ intensive advertising. cars to fire engines and other specialist vehicles such as HPs, mountain rescue 20 years have passed since Norway identified this Mountain rescue has always aligned itself closely problem in a report to IKAR. They began a with the BMC to defend the freedom of the mountains vehicles and control units. We offer an on-site service to limit down time of the NEXT ISSUE programme of trying to develop an awareness of, and and the freedom to take risks and it is essential that vehicle, or we can offer our equipped workshops near Peterborough. 49 empathy with, the world of hills and mountains. we move in concert with the mountaineering bodies Unfortunately there is no means of assessing the should we eventually decide to follow a preventative UU Equipment installed: Blue lights, headlamp flash, 2-tone sirens, rear reds, covert Copy Deadline: effectiveness of this campaign and in common with route. blues, diesel heaters, run lock systems, tracker units, strobes, hands free systems for Monday 3 JUNE 2014 many ‘preventative programmes’ it is carried out as Does the identification of ‘black spots’ act as a mobile telephones and 2-way radios, additional speakers (eg. in the pump bay) Editorial copy must be supplied an act of faith. deterrent or a challenge? Taking steps to make ‘black as Word document. Not too long ago most hillgoers went through a spots’ safer raises enough ethical issues within Images must be supplied as GPS and satellite navigation systems, plus many more. We have a ‘no drill’ policy in gradual learning process. It was sufficient for mountaineering to balance the moral aspect of high resolution (300 dpi) place and are able to install switch panels for specific client requirements. JPG/EPS/TIFF/PDF. Reinhold Messner to state, ‘Mountains are not fair or accidents referred to at the beginning. unfair, they are just dangerous.’ Climbers accepted There is still much to discuss and perhaps we can Advertising artwork must be Our engineers are FLM trained and fully competent on working with and this doctrine and learned to assess and deal with the identify ways of measuring effectiveness in a robust UU supplied, ready prepared on installing the airwave radios now fitted to the fire service. CD or via email as font risks. That recognition of risk and the steps to cope manner before we commit time and resources to a embedded high resolution with it have, I suspect, disappeared from the psyche new area of activity. UU We are now a Sortimo partner station and can supply and install Sortimo racking. PDF/EPS/TIFF (300 dpi). of many people now venturing forth. An aura of ‘Oh! Let us never, never doubt complacency has developed in a population who What nobody is sure about!’ Hillaire Belloc. I PAGE Scarborough & Ryedale stretcher off a casualty during a team fundraising event Photo © Scarborough AT A GLANCE & Ryedale MRT issue NATIONAL: 4-15 12 The Major Incident Group: Progress so far Phil Benbow summarises. INCIDENTS: 17-21 EDITOR’S NOTE: Articles carried Flood forecasting in Mountain Rescue do not 22 WATER 22-25 Bridget Beer describes the work of the Flood necessarily reflect the opinions this Forecasting Centre. MEDICAL: 26-27 For further information contact APB Mobile Installations Ltd of Mountain Rescue England The Four Inns Walk 1964 Tel: 0845 331 2727 Fax: 0845 331 2722 Web: www.apb-ltd.co.uk Email: [email protected] and Wales. We do not accept 38 TEAMS: 28-34 responsibility for information Robin Knott on the tragedy that sparked the formation of Unit 4, Pinnacle Close, Crowland, Peterborough PE6 0GB supplied in adverts/advertorial. the Peak District MRO and several of the Peak teams. TRAINING: 35-37 User guide for teams using the online shop 40 Jacques Malan. DOGS 42-45 48 Brand guidelines: Who needs ‘em? NAVIGATION 48-51 mountain Well we all do, actually. Judy Whiteside attempts to unravel the confusion surrounding the MREW logo. CAVES: 57 Using military techniques to detect casualties 54 Lyle Brotherton provides navigation techniques from the military. PA G E 2 MOUNTAINRESCUEMAGAZINE S P R I N G 2 0 1 4 S P R I N G 2 0 1 4 MOUNTAINRESCUEMAGAZINE PA G E 3 national INSURANCE MATTERS RUNNING FOR RESCUENews NEIL ‘WOODIE’ WOODHEAD THE VIRGIN LONDON MARATHON [email protected] AND THE GREATER MANCHESTER 10K RUN I joined mountain rescue to go We’re still hoping Derbyshire and My annual moan is here again associations. It is funded centrally notification to the insurers via Six members of mountain rescue are Lake District each year. He loves a We wish them both a full recovery. out on the fells and rescue fellow Devon & Cornwall will join the as some teams just don’t realise and you have nothing to pay from myself. running in the 2014 Virgin Money challenge and will be following the Come back next year! outdoor lovers. I’m sure most of scheme, so every team member the importance of returning the your team — you get free We’ve had to make seven London Marathon on Sunday 13 April marathon with an ultra marathon in The team’s Virgin Money Giving you were the same — whether has the same benefits in the annual declaration to me as soon insurance. If you had to obtain the notifications recently and that is with a target of raising £10,000 for May. Alasdair has been a Glossop page can be found at your main activity is event of an accident whilst on a as possible. I need to sign one cover for just your team then much higher than usual. Six of Mountain Rescue England and Wales. team member for seven years and, http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/team mountaineering, fell walking, mountain or cave rescue activity. declaration stating that no team is you’d be lucky to find it for less them involved injuries to team The places are allotted to us thanks to apparently, says he likes to carry all /mountainrescue2014. mountain biking, fell running or This cover is of real benefit to aware of an incident that may than £1,000. It’s only by arranging members and just one involved a our relationship with Prince William, the heavy stuff onto the hill! Still on the running theme, four climbing. I didn’t join to spend my team members at the sharp end. give rise to a claim, that hasn’t it centrally that we can obtain very member of the public. When we our Royal patron, and the Princes’ Dave Hadden is currently balancing runners are taking part in the Great life doing admin work, but sadly We’ve had claims from a team already been notified to the favourable premiums. join mountain or cave rescue we Charities Forum. We were delighted to his running and mountain rescue Manchester Run on Sunday 18 May, that is now the world we live in member who ruptured his insurers. The request this year I can’t emphasise enough the accept there is an element of risk have found six runners to take up the commitments with a new family.