Page 52 - RADC Bulletin 2021

DEVELOPMENT
Mountain Rescue and Casualty Care Training – Another Long Journey
Lt Col A Thomas
On arriving back in the UK, at Tidworth,
in 2016, I very soon started training with Hampshire Lowland Search and Rescue Team, then switched to Wiltshire once I’d completed my Search Technician training after 6 months. This was a fairly smooth transition, but I needed to work through the competencies again.
As soon as I knew I was off to Catterick, I applied to transfer to Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team, but they had 30 people
on their list and were not recruiting for 5 months. They were not keen on military candidates as they’d been let down all too often! Luckily, Graham from MDSS and ‘Fletch’ from JHG(N) and 5 Med Regt fame, put in good word for me. In the meantime, I explored RAF Leeming’s Mountain Rescue Team; they were very welcoming, and I managed to get away for a few weekends with them to the Lake District.
Finally, in January 2018, I was invited to a selection weekend at a secret venue near Gunnerside late on Friday night. We were placed into two groups of five, and very soon my group set off in the dark to the first grid reference. After a couple more RVs, aware we were being watched from afar, we finally met up with the other team and some of the training team in a bothy for a stew and few beers. The next morning we were assessed on teamwork when accessing a casualty
on a loose scree slope, transferring him to a stretcher, carrying out a secure retrieval, before carrying him out down to the road head.
A week later, I was contacted to be told I was successful and would be in the first pair to be taken on out of 6 selected. So began 24 months of training, covering search techniques, equipment familiarisation and equipment care (Graham is very particular about his vehicle load plans!), navigation, security on steep ground, abseiling, lowering, casualty handling, stretcher hauls, working with the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) and Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) and neighbouring teams, cave, flood and swift
water rescue introductions. Swaledale has one of the longest MRT training pathways, most of which are 1-11⁄2 years long, primarily due to the additional cave and water rescue competencies.
After a year as a Trainee, I was placed on their operational call out list and continued onto the second Probationary year. I was lucky enough to concurrently complete
the MREW Casualty Care Certificate, and delivered training on medical emergencies, airway and breathing, head and neck trauma and the team approach to the team. I keep up to date with most of their fortnightly online ‘cascare’ training sessions and deliver sessions for them.
Many of the call outs were to assist the YAS or YAA with enough manpower to carry the casualty safely and warm to a road head or helicopter. Some were to rescue stranded kayakers or walkers on the riverbanks or islands as the Swale’s water levels rise very quickly and catch people out. Some were for missing despondent or dementia persons which could go on for a few days and I’m grateful to the PDO for allowing flexibility. On
occasions, it was for body retrieval. Medical event cover also provided good training,
in terms of planning, communications and logistics as well as casualty handling. The commitment is significant, particularly during training, so expect an evening and
a full day per week and be ready to leave home (or work) at a moment’s notice.
Now in Lichfield, I’m waiting patiently for Derbyshire Mountain Rescue Team to begin recruitment but will have completed training with Staffordshire Lowland Rescue Team, including DEFRA Flood First Responder, by August 2020 as per their recommendation and to ensure I keep current.
So, if you’re an ‘outdoorsy person’ and want to develop your outdoor and medical skills, I encourage you to look up your local Lowland or Mountain Rescue Team and get in contact with them.
50 RADC BULLETIN 2021