the teams most recent EVENTS updates and news - all events will be updated within 24 hours..
SEARCH TECHNICAL AND RESCUE TEAM
LATEST NEWS
15TH AUGUST 2010.
TEAM RECIEVES NEW BOAT, ENGINES AND UNDERTAKES FURTHER TRAINING.
the team are pleased to announce that we have recieved a brand new 4 meter inflatable boat and 2 6 horse power engines to further expand our rescue cache.
these pieces of equipment will aid us in providng our services to the people of cheshire and as part of ifra, the united kingdom.
as well as our recent additions we have also recieved a vacuume matress for spinal injuries.
the team has continued with weekly training, scenes of crime expertly devised by colin jaimeson and our roling intermediate life support assesment. all team members are assessed every 4 weeks in basic life support, use of airways and also use of AED and oxygen, failure to pass the assesment means non operational status until the assessment is passed.
8th july 2010
TEAM UNDERTAKE COMMUNITY VISIT TO THE SCOUTS, LEARN MISSING PERSONS BEHAVIOUR AND UNDERTAKE SAR EXERCISE
the team where asked to give a talk to the 33rd warrington west scout group on the 25th of last month, mark and brian attended and gave an insite to the team, in appreciation for our efforts we where presented with commemorative 25 year aniversary badges.
on the 29th of june the team undertook missing persons behaviour training as per the search techniques course, this training gives searchers guidance on where the missing person may go and what they may do.
JULY 6TH saw the team undertake a very realistic exercise at lymm dam.
we had 2 volunteers from our friends at the 33rd warrington scouts acting as our mispers.
the scenario was 2 12 year olds who had been reported missing from a childrens home, then shoplifted from a local shop and then dissapeared in to the parkland of the dam.
the team where tasked to find the 2 girls to ensure there safety.
after a short while using hasty search techniques our first misper was found.
we then "lost" emma and we then had 2 mispers again.
the team searched woodland and along the waters edge and found the 2 girls, interjects to the team where passed and involved dynamic risk assesments, searcher safety and the possibility of a weapon on the missing persons.
all involved enjoyed the exercise, we are now in preperation for next weeks search assessment.
our thanks again to the 33rd warrington scouts.
13TH JUNE 2010;
TEAM UNDERTAKE FAST TRAINING AT LLANGOLLEN
today the team has undertaken FAST or Flood and Swiftwater Technician Training delivered by our friend Jules from voyageur training.
the team undertook many skills including crossing fast flowing swift water, defensive swimming, agressive swimming, throwline rescues, and even live bait rescues learning about the rescue hierarchy and water hydrology to name but a few.
wedge river crossing technique
deffensive swimming in to an eddy
18 MAY
rope access training at lymm dam leads onto missing person search
the team tonight continued the modular rope access and rescue training at lymm dam.
the team developed low and steep angle mechanical advantage systems to enable us to raise and lower rescuers and casualties to safety as required.
as part of the module the team have to utilise different techniques to move stretcher bound casualties over a variety of different terains.
whilst we where packing up, and many of the team members had left we where approached by two police officers who asked for our assistance with a missing persons search of the dam, the 6 team members present commenced a search alongside the police officers, as we where looking at calling back the entire team news was recieved the misper had returned home, we thanked the police officers and returned home.
saturday 15th may
today we undertook some casualty care training with our colleagues from northwest 4x4 response at warrington hospital.
the training means the responders can now do intermediate life support including defibrilation.
we look forwards to developing this working relationship in the near future.
northwest 4x4 response can provide 20 4x4 vehicles in the event of severe weather or logistics support for the team.
sunday 9th may
star team members train for rope rescue role and do further equipment familiarisation.
team members have been learning basic rope access and rescue skills recently , trained by mark and brian who have attended the rescue 3 rope rescue training at balla. further training will be done in this vital team skill over the next month and also on a monthly basis. the team has increased its training hours recently to enable us to better support our emergency services colleagues.
the team also attended our equipment base on sunday to clean, check and inventory all of our equipment, further dates to follow..
APRIL 4TH
STAR TEAM GAIN 6 NEW FIRST RESPONDERS AND DO JOINT TRAINING SESSION.
team members successfully passed their casualt care first responder course last tuesday night.
the training means the new volunteers can deliver intermediate life support including administering oxygen, airways and use a defibrilator.
yesterday the team undertook some joint training with watersafe uk (derby) at winsford marina.
watersafe uk are our mutual assistance team in IFRA.
the team learned some technician level skills including "live bait" rescues from boats and tensioned diagonals as well as working with our derby based friends.
FEBRUARY 24TH
STAR TEAM GAIN 10 NEW TEAM MEMBERS
STAR team have been busy in the first part of the new year.
we have gained 10 new team members who are currently undertaking induction program.
the team have undertaken Intermediate Life Support training so everyone can use an AED defibrilator, administer oxygen and also use airways.
the team has also undertaken further cervical spine immobilization training with our fastly expanding equipment cache.
we have forged links with northwest 4x4 response team who will provide logistics support in the event of a call out, a major partnership as we can call on approximatly 15 vehicles and trained 4x4 responders.
in the near future we will be undertaking training sessions for the 4x4 team as well as the other IFRA teams to the agreed national sylabus standards.
JANUARY 13TH 2010
STAR team are currently recruiting in the north cheshire area, we are looking for volunteers for operations and support.
we are especially looking for 4x4 drivers/owners.
star team had an excellent finish to the year, we once again where at the emergency services show.
STAR had awarenes training with the RAF search and rescue squadron at Valley in december, we look forward to working with them in the very near future.
THURSDAY THE 19TH OF NOVEMBER
xx STAR ON STANDBY FOR FLOODING IN CUMBRIA xx
STAR TEAM PLACED ON STANDBY FOR THE CUMBRIA FLOODS, AN OFFER OF ASSISTANCE WAS FORWARDED TO DEFRA AS PART OF THE NATIONAL FLOOD ENHANCEMENT PROJECT, OF WHICH WE ARE A REGISTERED ASSET.
just a quick round up of what has been happening since the last post, Mark and Brian have attended rope rescue training in wales.
the team have had numerous training exercises all over cheshire.
the courses proposed by mark for national approval have been granted, IFRA is now looking at national external verification for these courses.
the team are now in preperation for attending the emergency services show at coventry.
tuesday 1st september
the team undertook water rescue training tonight at the bridgewater canal.
wade rescue and shallow water crossing techniques where practiced and perfected.
TUESDAY 18TH AUGUST
tonight the team undertook casualty handling and evacuation training in a variety of terain at lymm dam.
TUESDAY 4TH AUGUST
tonight the team rescued an arborist trapped in a tree aprox 25 feet in the air.
utilising ladders and rope rescue equipment all was concluded in approximatly 35 minutes. team manager mark jeffers said "another realistic scenario undertaken by the team conducted quickly but above all safely".
tuesday the 21st july
search for missing despondent male and a river search for 4 people thrown from canal boat
all in a days work for STAR team.. but it was only a training scenario for the intrepid team to practice organised by mark jeffers.
the first scenario involved the team being mobilised to a boat crashing near to the london bridge public house, 4 people where believed missing, thrown from the boat and being swept away down the bridgewater canal.
the incident comand system was set up and teams where dispatched to search for the mispers.
missing person located and the team casevacs back to the road side to meet the ambulance.
with this part of the exercise completed the team is then tasked to search woodland for a missing male threatening suicide.
the team locates the misper in thick undergrowth.
pictures above show the team casevac the casualty to the road and waiting ambulance.
our team manager, Mark Jeffers will be attending the Emergency Services Show in his capacity of Inland Flood Rescue Association ( IFRA) national secretary, alongside the other IFRA management team members from around the country.
this will be the second time we have attended and will use this oportunity to promote IFRA, network and meet up with old friends from last years show.
23rd june
team ventures to runcorn hill for casualty evacuation exercise
tonight theteam ventured off to runcorn hill for some rope access and casualty handling/evacuation practice.
the team utilised rope access techniques to retrieve a casualty and asist him up a steep embankment.
the team then practiced retrieving a casualty utilising the spinal board.
the team is now preparing for search techniques training in a fortnights time.