What does it take to equip a Team?
In the next few articles, I will outline what it takes to have a Mountain Rescue Team of 30 volunteers equipped and ready for searches and rescues. This month the kit the team provides to each full team member for their own safety and wellbeing.
Clothing
A base layer top, 1 fleece, 1 light insulated jacket, 1 heavier insulated jacket, 1 waterproof shell jacket, 1 pair of light waterproof over trousers, 1 pair of winter salopettes,
Gear
A radio and charger (provided by Scottish Mountain Rescue), hand torch, GPS (some team members use their own), climbing helmet, ski googles (for eye protection especially from debris thrown up by helicopter downdraught), a pair of safety glasses (for covid and for forest searches), a small first aid kit, and a luminous rucksack cover.
Except for the GPS, it is expected that these items will only be used on team activities.
Next month I will cover equipment team members provide for themselves.
Callouts
Towards the middle of January, the team was called out at 0438hrs to search for a missing pensioner in the Gifford area. Three members from Tweed Valley MRT also assisted and the person was found alive and well in some woodland.
The team also had a late night callout searching for a missing person in the Eyemouth area. After the team had been stood down pending further police investigation the missing person turned up.
New Base
Walkers GroundWorks have laid the foundations and put in some drainage and lay stone in part of the parking/driveway areas. The site is now ready for the steel frame and once it has been manufactured erection of it will be the next stage followed by the laying of blockwork. We are hoping that supply chain delays will not hold up progress too much, with insulated panels for the walls and roof being our main concern.
