Category Archives: Training

Discovery of abandoned flare

Posted on by

This evening, the Skerries Coast Guard team were taking part in a regular night search and rescue exercise at Red Island, in Skerries.

During the course of the exercise, one of the search teams located an abandoned marine rocket flare. The flare appeared to have been deliberately concealed in undergrowth near the Martello Tower at Red Island and its condition indicated that it may only have recently been placed there. The flare found was a red parachute rocket flare, designed for use by ships in distress. When deployed, can reach a height of 1000 feet in a matter of seconds.

Skerries Coast Guard immediately notified their control centre in Dublin of the find. The exercise was immediately suspended and thorough search of the Red Island area was undertaken with the assistance of local Gardai. No further flares were found during this search. The flare was removed from the scene by the Gardai for specialist disposal by the army ordnance unit.

We would appeal to members of the public to be particularly vigilant and if they notice any such flares abandoned, please contact the Coast Guard by dialling 999 or 112.

home

Night Search and Rescue Training

Posted on by

 

 

This evening, the Volunteers of Skerries Coast Guard took part in a night search and rescue exercise.

A search of Red Island was conducted using 2 teams. A casualty was located and was assessed,treated and evacuated by stretcher to an area suitable for extraction by helicopter.

This exercise included training in search techniques, first aid, radio communications and team work.

Weather conditions on the night were fair with good visibility in a moderate S.W. breeze

home

Training with Coast Guard helicopter

Posted on by

At dawn this morning, the Skerries Coast Guard team held their first training event of 2009, a joint rescue exercise with one of the Coast Guard’s Sikorsky helicopters, callsign EI-MES. The Skerries team selected and prepared the landing zone at Red Island, near to Skerries harbour.

Weather conditions were favourable, with good visibility and freshening Southerly winds. All of the Skerries Coast Guard team had an opportunity to experience a flight in the helicopter.

Further rescue training took place on St. Patrick’s island, one of the three uninhabited islands off the coast of Skerries.

Once again, our thanks to the Dublin Coast Guard helicopter crew for a fantastic joint training exercise.

home

Night Helicopter Landing Exercise – Skerries

Posted on by

This evening, Volunteers from Skerries Coast Guard took part in a training exercise with the Irish Coast Guard helicopter, call sign EI-RCG.

The object of the exercise was to facilitate a helicopter landing under cover of darkness

A landing site was selected on Red Island, Skerries and the volunteers quickly cordoned, prepared and set up the designated landing site. The Irish Coast Guard helicopter (EI-RCG) made their approach and performed a brief landing, simulated casualty evacuation and departure.

The Coast Guard helicopter did some demonstration of their night time illumination equipment or “Night Sun”. This is used for night searches or night approaches for landing the aircraft. The Night Sun is remotely controlled by a crewman from within the helicopter and has a strength of 30 million candlepower.

Some of the Skerries volunteers also had a brief look at how the Helicopter crew uses F.L.I.R (Forward Looking Infra Red) technology to locate persons using thermal imagery.  

Weather conditions on scene were fair with a cold, light to moderate SW breeze.

Our thanks to the crew of EI-RCG for another professional job well done!

home