ISSN 1756-8749 0 5 . 3 £ 39 JANUARY 2012 APB mobile installations ltd SPECIALIST BLUE LIGHT EQUIPMENT INSTALLERS LEFT: WOODHEAD MRT LAND ROVER CENTRE: BUXTON MRT LAND ROVER RIGHT: FIRE BIKE UU Member of FIRESA and federation of communications services. UU APB specialises in the installation of blue lights equipment into everything from cars to fire engines and other specialist vehicles such as HPs, mountain rescue vehicles and control units. We offer an on-site service to limit down time of the vehicle, or we can offer our equipped workshops near Peterborough. UU Equipment installed: Blue lights, headlamp flash, 2-tone sirens, rear reds, covert blues, diesel heaters, run lock systems, tracker units, strobes, hands free systems for mobile telephones and 2-way radios, additional speakers (eg. in the pump bay) GPS and satellite navigation systems, plus many more. We have a ‘no drill’ policy in place and are able to install switch panels for specific client requirements. UU Our engineers are FLM trained and fully competent on working with and installing the airwave radios now fitted to the fire service. UU We are now a Sortimo partner station and can supply and install Sortimo racking. For further information contact APB Mobile Installations Ltd Tel: 0845 331 2727 Fax: 0845 331 2722 Web: www.apb-ltd.co.uk Email: [email protected] Unit 4, Pinnacle Close, Crowland, Peterborough PE6 0GB PAGE 2 MOUNTAIN RESCUE MAGAZINE JANUARY 2 012 N A L L WELCOME TO A 39 D Mountain Rescue is the I membership magazine for V mountain and cave rescue in A England and Wales. fir st D Contributions should be sent to Word the editor at the address below. Every care will be taken of materials sent for publication however these are submitted at the sender’s risk. The meeting in November witnessed two major specialist skills to the table but has also made major changes to the way in which mountain rescue in contributions from their wide ranging experience of the England and Wales will carry out its work in future many different facets of mountain rescue. I have no EDITORIAL Judy Whiteside years. doubt that across the country there are many people 8 Bridgefoot Close, Boothstown Firstly I was delighted to see the benevolent fund with the ability, skill and experience to take up the reins Manchester M28 1UG come into being after several years of discussion and of management and hope they will come forward. With 0161 702 6080 procrastination. I believe there will be a sense of relief, the publication of a ‘retirement list’ it will be much [email protected] particularly amongst team leaders, to know that there easier to plan ahead and balance commitment Andy Simpson is now a provision to help any team member in the between team, region and national body. 0161 764 0999 [email protected] event of injury or other unforeseen circumstances. Due As each post approaches the time for change, the recognition is appropriate for Huw Birrell, Trevor Cotton job description will be revisited. Some posts have mountain.rescue.org.uk and Tony Rich all of whom have laboured to bring the grown beyond expectation and it may be necessary to Pat Starkie project from a good idea into a working system. share out some of the workload, possibly with the 01 204 88 8 151 It is a little over a year since the suggestion that creation of new posts. [email protected] MREW officers should be appointed for fixed terms of The last year has overall been a very good one for office began to gain momentum. Fairly detailed mountain rescue in England and Wales. In several NEXT ISSUE discussions ensued. At some of these there appeared regions the number of incidents has fallen significantly. 40 to be ‘a difficulty for every solution’ but finally proposals Whether this is due to the safety messages that have Copy Deadline: emerged that dealt as fairly as possible with both new been promulgated or simply a reflection of the weather 5 MARCH 201 2 and long established post holders. One essential part is not clear at this stage. S ARCALL has gone from Editorial copy must be supplied of the new process is the appointment of successors strength to strength, a government grant has arrived, as Word document. some twelve months before the existing officer stands national fundraising has made big strides forward, Images must be supplied as down. This should ensure a gradual handover with there have been more successful training courses and high resolution (300 dpi) JPG/EPS/TIFF/PDF. new appointees able to run in tandem which is communication is slowly but surely improving. especially important in meetings with outside bodies. Finally, I have previously made reference to the Advertising artwork must be supplied, ready prepared on Underpinning this new arrangement is a belief that injudicious use of rapid fire email messages that have CD or via email as font people will emerge from all areas of mountain rescue later been a cause for regret. It would seem that the embedded PDF/EPS/TIFF to apply for the posts. We have been fortunate in the root cause is not so new after all... (300 dpi) or Quark document past few years to have had a very eclectic ‘And once sent out, a word with all relevant fonts and images. management group. Each officer has brought their Takes wings beyond recall.’ Horace 65BC I PAGE South Lakes teams engage in joint swiftwater training session Photo: Paul Burke iss ue AT A GLANCE EDITOR’S NOTE: Articles carried in Mountain Rescue do not Who’s Who on the Executive: Treasurer Penny necessarily reflect the opinions 8 Brockman interviewed by Judy Whiteside NATIONAL: 4-15 of Mountain Rescue England and Wales. We do not accept Diary of an Editor: The things I do for mountain TEAMS: 16-23 responsibility for information 15 rescue: Chairman in a pickle supplied in adverts/advertorial. th is INCIDENTS: 24-27 Flash makes the grade 28 John Coombs and Flash, on passing their assessment DOGS: 28-31 37 Motorway Exit Syndrome SUPPORT: 33/41 Lyle Brotherton talks us through some of the pitfalls NAVIGATION: 36-40 42 Winter skills: Avalanche awareness moun tain Martin Chester, British Mountain Guide WATER: 46-49 Water search incident management 46 Al Read, Ogwen Valley MRO & Outreach Rescue MEDICAL: 50-53 CAVES: 54-57 61 Shaping the mountain landscapes of Scotland John Gordon talks about the Ice Age IRELAND: 58-60 JANUARY 2 012 MOUNTAIN RESCUE MAGAZINE PAGE 3 INSURANCE MATTERS NEIL ‘WOODIE’ WOODHEAD [email protected] As I reported in the last magazine insurer views volunteers and what vehicle insurance is being looked needs to be disclosed to them. Check into and it is hoped that some central out your own insurer and see – you funding will be available in 2012. may need to take action. Initially this is likely to be a subsidised The training presentation is now scheme but I hope that central available to download from the fundraising will enable us to fund the website, which will help trustees to scheme fully in future years. understand their insurance At the November meeting there was requirements and enable them to overwhelming support to take this educate their team members on the forward. What we need now is to subject. It’s a ‘death by powerpoint’ know from the teams what vehicles presentation, but hopefully will help they have, any special cover they you educate yourselves and your have in place and claims history. A teams in the riveting subject of survey will have been circulated insurance! around the regions and teams by the All the guidance notes and time you are reading this and it is documents relating to insurance can important your team completes this also be found on the website – in the and returns it by the end of January. member’s area, under resources and This will then give us time to consider insurance. These should be used your needs and return to you at the alongside the presentation to guide May meeting with a firm proposal. My you through some of the areas. WHY TRICKETTS INSURANCE? plan is to have the scheme live for you The national personal accident G The Best Advice in the summer. (PA) policy, funded by various police The Best & Most Appropriate Premiums I know you support this idea and I’m forces, continues to go from strength G determined to make this happen in to strength. Meetings are taking place G Skilled, Professional & Personal 2012, so every team can benefit. with brokers and insurers to ensure Whilst we are on the subject of we have the best cover we can, with Specialising in all types of Commercial Insurance, we, however, vehicle insurance, many of you will some enhancements likely at the also provide a large range of Personal Insurances. have seen the subject of volunteers renewal in March. More police forces As independent insurance specialists, we don’t do anything else, and their own motor insurance have signed up, with teams in North you can be sure that you will get proper advice and help when policies. This is particularly pertinent Yorkshire and Lancashire now you need it. to our members. included. This brings the number of At James Trickett & Son Insurance Limited you are guaranteed a Insurers take different views of teams covered to 33 and personal service from our dedicated team of insurance people volunteering and the Northumbria are also showing professionals who can deal with all your insurance requirements Association of British Insurers (ABI) interest.