Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team “regain control” with a new incident control vehicle Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team (Cleveland MRT) is rolling into its 50th anniversary year from November 2014, with a new Citroën Relay incident control unit. The new Citroën, to be called Viking 1, is fully equipped with state-of-the-art communication equipment and specialist mapping and tracking systems. It will enable the all-volunteer mountain rescue team to respond more efficiently and locate those in difficulties within its 1,000 sq kilometre area of responsibility in the North York Moors and beyond. The new Citroën control vehicle will be used in the command and control of major searches and also protracted rescues. It will provide the team and other emergency services with communication and basic welfare facilities. The volunteers are frequently called out either by the Police (primarily 999 calls) or Ambulance Service Trusts. The incidents attended by Cleveland MRT range from rescuing the seriously injured, through to searching for missing persons. Tim Wood, Chairman of the Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team, explains: “The new Citroën will play a vital role in enabling our team of specially trained volunteers to provide an even better rescue service. Its purchase has been made possible by the great generosity of John Nixon Ltd, which supplied the vehicle at a discounted price. The balance has been raised through the kindness of individuals, charitable organisations such as the Round Table & Rotary Clubs, by corporate donors and by using Cleveland MRT reserve funds. Other companies have supported Cleveland MRT during in the conversion process of the vehicle so that it can accommodate all of the much needed equipment. VLS (Hull) have provided the vehicle livery whilst North Yorkshire Police and West Yorkshire Police have assisted with the electronic and mechanical fabrication work needed over the past 10 weeks.” He continues: “Cleveland MRT attended 62 call outs in 2013, the greatest number the team has tackled in any year since its formation almost 50 years ago. As we work closely with other emergency services, the latest communication equipment is a must, as is the specialist mountain rescue mapping and search planning software. The team has replaced its two ambulances over the last two years as planned. However, the team found itself in a position of having to replace the former Viking 1, a 22 year old Ford Cargo, earlier than expected due to MOT failure. Therefore, we are urgently trying to raise funds and are looking for new donors to help us replace the reserve funds we have had to use to assist in the purchase of this vehicle. Cleveland MRT needs annual running costs of some £30,000.” Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team, initially the Cleveland Search and Rescue Team, was formed in November 1965 when, with the ever-growing popularity of the Lyke Wake Walk, more and more people were taking to the hills and finding themselves in need of rescue. The Lyke Wake walk is a 42-mile route across some of the highest parts of the North York Moors between Osmotherley in the West and Ravenscar on the coast. Walkers attempting this route were often ill equipped and inexperienced in navigation. During the 80s and 90s the number and variety of Hill Users increased bringing with it different call out scenarios for the team to deal with, ranging from fallen climbers and mountain bikers to crashed hang-gliders. Members of Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team are now involved in the training and organisation of Mountain Rescue personnel, not only on a local scale but also on a regional level. Today Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team is a highly trained and well equipped Mountain Rescue Team. Its 50 volunteer members are able to reach any part of their area quickly and efficiently deal with incidents. Recently, the team has also trained to cover water related emergencies. This stemmed from the recent flooding countrywide. The teams 50 volunteers are made up of men and women, from all walks of life, ranging in age from 18 – 75, who are on call 24 hours a day 7 days a week to go to the help of people missing or injured on the North York Moors. Currently the team includes salesmen and students, engineers and electricians, doctors and policemen, teachers and retired people to name but a few. All have a background in the outdoors whether as walkers, mountaineers or climbers and all dedicate a lot of their time into their Mountain Rescue training. None of the team is paid for their Mountain Rescue activities and relies on local businesses allowing team members to attend. Team members train regularly and must attend a high percentage of the training sessions in order to keep familiar with the wide range of complex equipment that they carry and to learn the latest search and rescue techniques. Cleveland Mountain Rescue Team is a charity and wholly dependent on donations – if you are an individual, a business or a charitable organisation that could contribute to its rescue work, either financially, with fund raising or can offer procurement links please get in touch with the contacts listed below. You can make an instant donation by Texting CSRT01 and your amount to 70070 or go to the team just giving page.
Posted on: Thu, 16 Oct 2014 17:17:00 +0000
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