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its been in the local press around north devon of late that the RAF Sea Kings based at Chivenor are to be switching away from full 24 hour Search and Rescue operations to 12 hour operations. (i'm not sure, this may also be the case with other SAR stations) from what i understand this is essentially due to the government doing a bit of penny pinching.
This would be a valuable loss as these people do provide a valuable search, rescue and medivac service covering an area from the brecons through devon and into the atlantic aswell as covering cornwall when culdrose helicopters are busy. only this week a helicopter was sent at 1.30AM from chivenor up to cumbria to help with the rescue effort there, of course this wouldnt be available if the new daylight restriction is enforced.
and of course it could affect us night riding types if we ever got into a spot of bother out in the hills.
anyway, if anyone is interested, theres a petition set up by the local MP to try and stop this motion if anyone is interested.
www.nickharveymp.com/petitions
cheers.
Aren't the Gov hellbent on privatising SAR?
Devil's advocate here: how many lives are saved by night-flying helicopters which couldn't have been saved by other means?
no teeth- yeah i think that is a long term plan, which i dont think is particularly great.
mogrim- i can think of more than a couple instances where those helicopters have gone out 200 miles into the atlantic to do casevacs from ships, try getting an ambulance out there!
anyway, i didnt really put this up to debate the subject, more just to give some support for the cause.
IIRC 3 out of the 12 bases will be moved to 12 hr cover but not until after 2012
EDIT - I think Culdrose is staying 24hr
Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the implications are of the proposed reductions to 12-hour service at SAR Chivenor and SAR Portland for the service provided by SAR Culdrose in terms of (a) area coverage and (b) response times. [298103]
10 Nov 2009 : Column 239W
Bill Rammell: The decision to deliver the future helicopter search and rescue (SAR-H) service from nine full-time and three part-time (12-hour, daytime only) bases continues to ensure our ability to reach all “very high”, “high” and 75 per cent. of “medium” risk areas within one hour of take off. This decision has no day-time impact on the expected SAR-H demands on RNAS Culdrose. RNAS Culdrose is likely to be the first alternative responder to night-time incidents for one “medium” risk area that RMB Chivenor currently provides lead cover for RAF Valley and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency site at Lee on Solent will provide cover for other areas. Cover to this area will remain within the required one hour response time.
Thanks Ian. So Nick Harvey has had assurances that the planned changes will not impact on SAR cover, but he's still sponsoring a petition to retain a 24 SAR facility in his constituency and is seeking a guarantee that RAF Chivenor will remain open.
I see his (self) interest in this, but 24hr SAR cover is not in jeopardy although his petition is disingenuously worded to suggest that it is.
I don't care how popular Nick Harvey is with his constituents in the run up to a General Election so I'm not interested in signing.
My local base is portland and there run by a canadian company with canadian staff according to an ex raf man i was talking to.