Search and Rescue

[Fallow Way]

I am in the process of hopefully joining my local Search and Rescue team. I know a few poeple on here are members of their respective teams so I`m hoping for some good responses here (fingeres crossed)

First, what are Bricking and Casting? Not come across that terminology before



Also, generally, what advice would you give to becoming a good member of the team?

 

[Spacemonkey]

Bricking? I think I've done that on a few occasions when riding my bike around London!!
Seriously though, good luck with it-it's something i would love to do if i still lived out in the sticks-the most we get here are when people can't find the correct turn for Oxford Street...

 

[Fallow Way]

Lol, well I`ve been to London, there have been a couple of occasions I`d have been happy to have been searched and rescued considering some of the areas I wondered into quite convinced knowing where i was.

Its something I`ve wanted to do for a long time, I had never been able to find out anything about the local Search and REscue Team, even if there was one, off anyone, until a recent recruitment drive which was detailed in the local paper. Five minutes later I`m talking to them on the phone and quite interested having mentioned "Forester" and "Tracker".

 

[shinobi]

Hiya,

I've been a member of my local SAR team for a few years now and I'm afraid I haven't got a clue what bricking and casting are!!! Do you know in what context it was referred to? It could be a local term used by that team for something we do. Ah, thinking about it, it could be a term used by mountain rescue teams. Is that the sort of team you are applying to join?

You might find more useful info on this site; Association of Lowland search and rescue It's more for lowland searching but there's some good info in the links page.

Feel free to ask any more questions, hopefully I'll know the answers to them!!!

Martin

 

[Fallow Way]

SSART (Staffordshire Search and Rescue Team) is a lowland team, trained under ALSAR.

I belive it is a term relative to shoveling.

Could do with some advice on how to talk to your employers with regards being able to attend call outs.

 

[shinobi]

Could do with some advice on how to talk to your employers with regards being able to attend call outs.

I guess a lot of it depends on what sort of company you work for. Is it big or small? Also, can your work be covered by other people in your absence?
I work for British Airways and I sold it to them by telling them how it helps the local community and that it makes them look good and charitable. Businesses like to look good. I also suggested a trial period of six months when my boss could re-assess the situation. He was only concerned if I kept on getting call-outs every friday night at around 8pm (just in time to get to the pub for last orders!!!) As long as he was kept informed about the team, not just for callouts, he felt involved and was less surprised when I asked to go to a shout. If your team has a web-site with previous callouts on it, show it to your boss so he can see how frequenty you're likely to be called out.

Hope that helps?

Martin

 

[Fallow Way]

I always knew I had a good manager, today she out did herself.

Having returned from site duties a little earlier than usual (kinda due to the 15 wasp stings i received while clearing some rubbish left on site which covered the nest over completely) I found that after texting her over the weekend to request talking about my S+R involvement she had

- been in contact with the Team to find out more
- been in contact with our Human resources department to enquire if they allow time off rather than flexi time to attend calls.
- suggested they sign up to support the chairty and give me time to attend calls
- suggest the Countryside Department in general become involved as they know the areas better than most in the team (i`m a forester/ranger so i know the areas very well).

just have to wait and see what happens now. As you suggest I may put forward a trial period, either having to do it in my own time and make it up or whatever, and see howit works in relation to managing the other member of the team.