Graham OH: always happy to be at the sharp end of a dog rescue.
The 20-Teens: a decade of change
Recruitment
Things had not changed significantly by 2011 when Graham O'Hanlon joined the Team:
“I live just inside South Snowdonia Search & Rescue Team’s patch, and had been trying (unsuccessfully) to get in touch with them to join up. But as it turns out they were not operational at the time. I was working as a mountain-bike skills coach and spending a fair bit of time at Coed y Brenin trail-centre. One day, over a coffee, I was bemoaning my lack of progress to one of the centre staff, who turned out to be wife of the deputy TL of OBWSART as it was at the time. A phone call followed on fairly swiftly after that exchange, and I was invited along to the next training.”
“My first training session was a scenario and a sea of unfamiliar faces; a bit like the first day at school. With the advice “just get stuck in!” I was let loose and we were off. Everyone seemed to know what they were doing…well mostly. I witnessed a femoral traction splint being applied to the unsuspecting “casualty” with the splint on the inside rather than the outside of his leg. The howls that rang about the valley as the traction force was applied, pushing the aluminium splint up into his groin, are with me still. It is a lesson I have never forgotten, so a worthwhile sacrifice perhaps.”
“I may be wrong, but I think I went straight onto the call-out list, but when everyone but me seemed to know what to do, it was difficult to know how be of use. Having given it some thought I figured that there was always a high probability that a stretcher would be required, so I made a point of learning how to set it up. The stretcher was also an unpopular load choice when shifting kit to the incident site, being heavy, problematic in high winds, and difficult to manage with personal kit. I worked out a good way to mount it on my bag and it became my go-to load.”
“I had a T for trainee against my name for a year or so. It disappeared around the time I took on the Treasurer role, and I often wondered if the two things were connected.
“Team issued kit was a badge and a radio. Shortly afterwards there was an issue of head-torches.”
Recruitment
Things had not changed significantly by 2011 when Graham O'Hanlon joined the Team:
“I live just inside South Snowdonia Search & Rescue Team’s patch, and had been trying (unsuccessfully) to get in touch with them to join up. But as it turns out they were not operational at the time. I was working as a mountain-bike skills coach and spending a fair bit of time at Coed y Brenin trail-centre. One day, over a coffee, I was bemoaning my lack of progress to one of the centre staff, who turned out to be wife of the deputy TL of OBWSART as it was at the time. A phone call followed on fairly swiftly after that exchange, and I was invited along to the next training.”
“My first training session was a scenario and a sea of unfamiliar faces; a bit like the first day at school. With the advice “just get stuck in!” I was let loose and we were off. Everyone seemed to know what they were doing…well mostly. I witnessed a femoral traction splint being applied to the unsuspecting “casualty” with the splint on the inside rather than the outside of his leg. The howls that rang about the valley as the traction force was applied, pushing the aluminium splint up into his groin, are with me still. It is a lesson I have never forgotten, so a worthwhile sacrifice perhaps.”
“I may be wrong, but I think I went straight onto the call-out list, but when everyone but me seemed to know what to do, it was difficult to know how be of use. Having given it some thought I figured that there was always a high probability that a stretcher would be required, so I made a point of learning how to set it up. The stretcher was also an unpopular load choice when shifting kit to the incident site, being heavy, problematic in high winds, and difficult to manage with personal kit. I worked out a good way to mount it on my bag and it became my go-to load.”
“I had a T for trainee against my name for a year or so. It disappeared around the time I took on the Treasurer role, and I often wondered if the two things were connected.
“Team issued kit was a badge and a radio. Shortly afterwards there was an issue of head-torches.”
Phil H, later to become Medical Officer, on try-out in 2018
It was starting to become apparent that the ad-hoc approach to recruitment was perhaps not the most fair in terms of opportunity, and not a particularly supportive environment for the trainees themselves. The Team was also getting to a point where expressions of interest to join were starting to outstrip requirements.
As part of an ongoing drive to standardise the recruitment process, it was decided that applicants would be waitlisted and invited along to a “hill day”, the first of which ran in 2014. Hosted by a group of senior Team members, the aspirant volunteers were taken out onto Cader Idris where they were put through some basic navigation, hill-craft and first-aid tasks. They were also assessed on their ability to turn out suitably dressed and equipped for a day in the hills. Following a quick discussion amongst the “panel” the aspirants were either taken on as trainees or given some pointers on areas needing improvement and invited to reapply next year.
Initially this recruitment process fed into the same “T against your name but on the call-out list after a couple of training sessions,” but being part of a cohort of people who had at least met each other once before and were all in the same position, it was already a better system from the Trainee’s perspective. Shortly afterwards began the process of allocating each recruit to a mentor to monitor their progress against a list of core competencies.
As part of an ongoing drive to standardise the recruitment process, it was decided that applicants would be waitlisted and invited along to a “hill day”, the first of which ran in 2014. Hosted by a group of senior Team members, the aspirant volunteers were taken out onto Cader Idris where they were put through some basic navigation, hill-craft and first-aid tasks. They were also assessed on their ability to turn out suitably dressed and equipped for a day in the hills. Following a quick discussion amongst the “panel” the aspirants were either taken on as trainees or given some pointers on areas needing improvement and invited to reapply next year.
Initially this recruitment process fed into the same “T against your name but on the call-out list after a couple of training sessions,” but being part of a cohort of people who had at least met each other once before and were all in the same position, it was already a better system from the Trainee’s perspective. Shortly afterwards began the process of allocating each recruit to a mentor to monitor their progress against a list of core competencies.
TL Chris D at helm of the new Mobile-1. He played a major role in the fitting out of this and other Team vehicles
Operations
In 2012 the Team changed its name once again, from Outward Bound Wales Search & Rescue Team to Aberdyfi Search and Rescue Team, severing the last formal links with OB. However, when Dave W retired from the SNPA in 2014, the equipment stored in the Dolgellau depot was moved to storage back at OB. A new rented lock-up in Dolgellau came into use in 2019, providing a home for Mobile-2, the newly purchased water-trailer, and a drying room.
In 2013 Dave W stood down as Team Leader, handing over the reins to Chris Dunn. Dave remained in position as Team Chair.
The decade saw the first real inroads into shouldering some of the expense of volunteering by providing volunteers with personal equipment. In 2012 MREW issued all volunteers across England and Wales with a badged-up Mountain Equipment Fitzroy insulated jacket. As a Team that had never really done uniforms beyond a badge, there was some scepticism as to how this would be received, but they proved immensely popular with Team members, and created a real sense of cohesiveness. In 2014 an issue of summer windproof jackets, again by MREW, proved equally popular.
Within the Team personal issue equipment was purchased as funds allowed. By 2013 personal rucksacks, slings and karabiners, laminated maps and base layers were being handed out, and travel expenses for out of area travel was introduced. Higher price items were prioritised on an attendance basis, but by 2017, 21 sets of waterproof jackets and trousers had been issued to Team volunteers.
In 2013, the implementation of an online call-out mechanism, SARCALL, began. It replaced the old cascade system with an automated voice-text being delivered simultaneously to the landlines of volunteers. Mobile phones were less common, and coverage much poorer, but the system also sent the message by SMS, capturing at least some of the people away from home. SARLOC and PHONEFIND, two protocols making use of smartphone technology to quiz a casualty’s phone for location data, followed shortly after. In 2018, the incident reporting process, known as a “Pink” from the colour of the original form, also went online. With these changes came a progressively greater need for a call-handler to remain in front of a computer, where the advantages of a good internet and phone connection became increasingly important to rescue coordination.
In 2016 the Team was awarded the High Sheriff’s Personal Award for Outstanding service to the public in times of need.
In 2012 the Team changed its name once again, from Outward Bound Wales Search & Rescue Team to Aberdyfi Search and Rescue Team, severing the last formal links with OB. However, when Dave W retired from the SNPA in 2014, the equipment stored in the Dolgellau depot was moved to storage back at OB. A new rented lock-up in Dolgellau came into use in 2019, providing a home for Mobile-2, the newly purchased water-trailer, and a drying room.
In 2013 Dave W stood down as Team Leader, handing over the reins to Chris Dunn. Dave remained in position as Team Chair.
The decade saw the first real inroads into shouldering some of the expense of volunteering by providing volunteers with personal equipment. In 2012 MREW issued all volunteers across England and Wales with a badged-up Mountain Equipment Fitzroy insulated jacket. As a Team that had never really done uniforms beyond a badge, there was some scepticism as to how this would be received, but they proved immensely popular with Team members, and created a real sense of cohesiveness. In 2014 an issue of summer windproof jackets, again by MREW, proved equally popular.
Within the Team personal issue equipment was purchased as funds allowed. By 2013 personal rucksacks, slings and karabiners, laminated maps and base layers were being handed out, and travel expenses for out of area travel was introduced. Higher price items were prioritised on an attendance basis, but by 2017, 21 sets of waterproof jackets and trousers had been issued to Team volunteers.
In 2013, the implementation of an online call-out mechanism, SARCALL, began. It replaced the old cascade system with an automated voice-text being delivered simultaneously to the landlines of volunteers. Mobile phones were less common, and coverage much poorer, but the system also sent the message by SMS, capturing at least some of the people away from home. SARLOC and PHONEFIND, two protocols making use of smartphone technology to quiz a casualty’s phone for location data, followed shortly after. In 2018, the incident reporting process, known as a “Pink” from the colour of the original form, also went online. With these changes came a progressively greater need for a call-handler to remain in front of a computer, where the advantages of a good internet and phone connection became increasingly important to rescue coordination.
In 2016 the Team was awarded the High Sheriff’s Personal Award for Outstanding service to the public in times of need.
Vehicles
Somewhere around the start of the decade, the Team acquired its first ever vehicle, an ex-speed camera Ford Transit bought for a nominal fee from NWP. Much of the kit was removed from Dave W’s van, which became a mobile filing cabinet where documents could disappear for months if not years. The “Arrive Alive” van had had a hard life with NWP, and things didn’t improve when it joined the Team; MOT time was always a time for serious concern. However the advantages of a Team vehicle were clear, and in 2014 after a concerted fundraising effort the Team purchased a new 4-motion VW Transporter van, Mobile-1, which remains in service today.
On a bit of a roll, and never one to pass up a bargain, Dave W also acquired an ex-Fire Service Landrover 110 to give the Team some off-road capability. Known as “Old Red,” this petrol V8 driven beast sounded like a spitfire and consumed petrol at a similar rate. It had the dubious reputation of being the oldest Landrover in service with any MR Team.
In 2011, to mark the Royal wedding, Jaguar Landrover gave the happy couple a new defender, and as Patron of MREW, Prince William made this available to an MR team drawn out of the hat. Patterdale were the lucky recipients, and in the spirit of the original gift, they passed on the vehicle it replaced to another Team. Over the next few years, this rippled pretty much through the entire network of Teams in England and Wales. We ended up with the second-oldest Defender in service, and Old Red went out to a team in Norfolk. The steering was so loose on this one, that it required constant correction, even when negotiating a straight road. Again, the benefits such a vehicle could easily be seen, and by 2016 the funds had been raised to buy a new Toyota Hilux pick-up with a crew cab, Mobile-2, which remains in service to date.
Somewhere around the start of the decade, the Team acquired its first ever vehicle, an ex-speed camera Ford Transit bought for a nominal fee from NWP. Much of the kit was removed from Dave W’s van, which became a mobile filing cabinet where documents could disappear for months if not years. The “Arrive Alive” van had had a hard life with NWP, and things didn’t improve when it joined the Team; MOT time was always a time for serious concern. However the advantages of a Team vehicle were clear, and in 2014 after a concerted fundraising effort the Team purchased a new 4-motion VW Transporter van, Mobile-1, which remains in service today.
On a bit of a roll, and never one to pass up a bargain, Dave W also acquired an ex-Fire Service Landrover 110 to give the Team some off-road capability. Known as “Old Red,” this petrol V8 driven beast sounded like a spitfire and consumed petrol at a similar rate. It had the dubious reputation of being the oldest Landrover in service with any MR Team.
In 2011, to mark the Royal wedding, Jaguar Landrover gave the happy couple a new defender, and as Patron of MREW, Prince William made this available to an MR team drawn out of the hat. Patterdale were the lucky recipients, and in the spirit of the original gift, they passed on the vehicle it replaced to another Team. Over the next few years, this rippled pretty much through the entire network of Teams in England and Wales. We ended up with the second-oldest Defender in service, and Old Red went out to a team in Norfolk. The steering was so loose on this one, that it required constant correction, even when negotiating a straight road. Again, the benefits such a vehicle could easily be seen, and by 2016 the funds had been raised to buy a new Toyota Hilux pick-up with a crew cab, Mobile-2, which remains in service to date.
DW with "Old Red" on the shoulder of Cader Idris
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Old Red's successor, still liveried-up for SSSRT
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Aircraft Support
In 2015 the provision of helicopter support for search and rescue operations switched from the RAF to HM Coastguard, with the aircraft being operated by Bristows, a commercial concern. As the deadline grew close, there was a great deal of trepidation amongst the Team membership, especially those who had worked alongside the RAF crews for many years. The RAF crews, themselves familiar and reassuring faces, had always demonstrated a healthy “can-do” approach to flying in the most awful conditions, and if they said that they couldn’t do it, they would not have come to that decision lightly. The Sea King helicopter fleet was, however, getting old and perhaps had become the weak link in the process. But how would a commercial operation work? Ignoring the many privatisation success stories of the past for one moment, would the crew understand what was required? Would they have quotas after which they wouldn’t turn out? Would they even attempt some of the rescues effected by the RAF? It was a worrying time. Even the new aircraft were viewed with some suspicion. There was a reassuringly functional mechanical feel to the Sea Kings, with their all-pervading smell of aviation fuel, duct-tape trim and built in kettle. The new aircraft looked, well, too …clean. It was like stepping out of a Series-I Landrover and into a brand-new Landcruiser. How could this possibly be right?
The fears were, of course, unfounded. Many of those familiar faces that had been relied upon in years past, took their leave of the RAF and went to crew the new service, and the aircraft, like a brand new Landcruiser, proved to be reliable and highly capable. In reality, when requesting air-support, the Team saw fewer “no-shows” with the new service, if only because the Sea Kings were often grounded with mechanical issues.
In 2015 the provision of helicopter support for search and rescue operations switched from the RAF to HM Coastguard, with the aircraft being operated by Bristows, a commercial concern. As the deadline grew close, there was a great deal of trepidation amongst the Team membership, especially those who had worked alongside the RAF crews for many years. The RAF crews, themselves familiar and reassuring faces, had always demonstrated a healthy “can-do” approach to flying in the most awful conditions, and if they said that they couldn’t do it, they would not have come to that decision lightly. The Sea King helicopter fleet was, however, getting old and perhaps had become the weak link in the process. But how would a commercial operation work? Ignoring the many privatisation success stories of the past for one moment, would the crew understand what was required? Would they have quotas after which they wouldn’t turn out? Would they even attempt some of the rescues effected by the RAF? It was a worrying time. Even the new aircraft were viewed with some suspicion. There was a reassuringly functional mechanical feel to the Sea Kings, with their all-pervading smell of aviation fuel, duct-tape trim and built in kettle. The new aircraft looked, well, too …clean. It was like stepping out of a Series-I Landrover and into a brand-new Landcruiser. How could this possibly be right?
The fears were, of course, unfounded. Many of those familiar faces that had been relied upon in years past, took their leave of the RAF and went to crew the new service, and the aircraft, like a brand new Landcruiser, proved to be reliable and highly capable. In reality, when requesting air-support, the Team saw fewer “no-shows” with the new service, if only because the Sea Kings were often grounded with mechanical issues.
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Team volunteers attend the Team's first water training
Water
The Team had been discussing the idea of forming a water rescue group as far back as 2013, but with water featuring in so few call-outs, and the cost of equipping, training and maintaining a water-rescue capability so high, the idea had little traction. However, as the events of the 2015 Boxing-day floods played out in the news, many Team volunteers had cause to wonder if there wasn’t more to be done as a Team to help out in such events, and prepare for a time when we might be the target of such events. The following year, money from the LIBOR fund was made available to the region for flood response provisions, and the Team was able to train and equip team members as Swift-Water Rescue Technicians. By 2017, nine volunteers had been trained, with three at an advanced level, and one serving as a water incident manager, and two years later, there was an instructor within the Team.
With a number of high risk coastal villages within the Team’s region, the Water group remains part of the local resilience plan for flooding events, and are available to help both regionally and nationally
The Team had been discussing the idea of forming a water rescue group as far back as 2013, but with water featuring in so few call-outs, and the cost of equipping, training and maintaining a water-rescue capability so high, the idea had little traction. However, as the events of the 2015 Boxing-day floods played out in the news, many Team volunteers had cause to wonder if there wasn’t more to be done as a Team to help out in such events, and prepare for a time when we might be the target of such events. The following year, money from the LIBOR fund was made available to the region for flood response provisions, and the Team was able to train and equip team members as Swift-Water Rescue Technicians. By 2017, nine volunteers had been trained, with three at an advanced level, and one serving as a water incident manager, and two years later, there was an instructor within the Team.
With a number of high risk coastal villages within the Team’s region, the Water group remains part of the local resilience plan for flooding events, and are available to help both regionally and nationally