another coastguard debacle.

[Elessar]

Torbay lifeboat launched today.
Casualty spoke to falmouth coastguard to be told solent was co ordinating.
Solent cg told him falmouth was co ordinating.
Lifeboat spoke to falmouth coastguard to be told solent was co ordinating.
Solent cg told him falmouth was co ordinating.
Lifeboard sounding very frustrated.
Lots of chipping in on ch16 saying "bring back brixham"
More c/g confusion and eventually someone in solent went and got the duty grown up and put him on.

A yacht gave his name and asked the coastguard how an ordinary yacht could know which c/g to call if the lifeboat didn't know.
Lots of chippings in of "hear hear"

really quite farcical.

BTW how far down the coast DOES solent coastguard go these days?

 

[longjohnsilver]

I heard it too, think you passed us just a short while later. Unfortunately the yacht who made those comments finished with an "over and out" which rather spoilt the effect.
Also complaining to the radio operators seems rather pointless, it's the civil servants and politicians who made the decision to close Brixham and Portland, that the comments should be aimed at.

 

[rbcoomer]

AFAIK It should usually be Falmouth - or at least they said prior to closure that Brixham would be covered by Falmouth...

 

[NoviceRod]

AFAIK It should usually be Falmouth - or at least they said prior to closure that Brixham would be covered by Falmouth...

I think Berry Head is the border - south west of there is Falmouth, but Torbay is Solent.

Aerials are Beer Head and Berry Head and both effectively cover Torbay - hence the confusion.

 

[rbcoomer]

I think Berry Head is the border - south west of there is Falmouth, but Torbay is Solent.

Aerials are Beer Head and Berry Head and both effectively cover Torbay - hence the confusion.

Most of the local press at the time reported that Brixham operations would be covered by Falmouth - hence my understanding, but I can see the confusion as having searched, nothing on the government sites is clear!

A quick news search: http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/story/2014-10-31/brixham-coastguard-closes/

I must admit that we get a much better signal from the Falmouth reports/updates than any other, but if they have the use of the Berry Head mast then that's no surprise.

I thought that Solent was closing too? Would be interesting to know who everyone else calls locally!

 

[Elessar]

Most of the local press at the time reported that Brixham operations would be covered by Falmouth - hence my understanding, but I can see the confusion as having searched, nothing on the government sites is clear!

A quick news search: http://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/story/2014-10-31/brixham-coastguard-closes/

I must admit that we get a much better signal from the Falmouth reports/updates than any other, but if they have the use of the Berry Head mast then that's no surprise.

I thought that Solent was closing too? Would be interesting to know who everyone else calls locally!

solent closed, moved, lost its experienced staff and put new people in that have been inadequately trained or poorly selected - only time will tell which.

Last week I was involved with something that was co-ordinated by solent very professionally. Sadly that seems to be the exception.

Lets hope we don't have a nautical equivalent of that poor lady stuck in the car for 3 days before the staff become competent.

 

[rbcoomer]

Indeed! I must admit I was of the understanding that part of the reorganisation/centralisation was the intention that other areas could pick up the slack when one area is busy. I didn't hear the communication in question, but basic protocol should be that whoever responded to the first radio transmission should continue to coordinate until the matter is concluded or there is a formal handover to another party. There's no room for slippery shoulders in SAR any more than there is in the other emergency services.

 

[z1ppy]

I had reason to call Solent coastguard today and they were very professional and helped me out in a very difficult situation.

I for one was grateful for their assistance but do appreciate we were a relatively simple call for them

 

[Biggles109]

On who to call, I asked earlier in the year on the MCA stand at the Solitaire event in Torquay who we should call following the closure of Brixham. They confirmed that South of Berry Head is Falmouth CG and North of this Solent CG. Interestingly though he recommended calling 'UK Coastguard' rather than a specific station.

 

[Uricanejack]

So there was a distress call and the response involved some communication issues around which center was coordinating the response.
Instead of waiting for them to sort it out. A bunch of yahoos get on the radio to make superfluous comments.
Which is worse?
Just my opinion complain after the fact not during the event and not on the radio.

The important thing is a boat made a distress call, it was heard and assistance was sent.

 

[Elessar]

So there was a distress call and the response involved some communication issues around which center was coordinating the response.
Instead of waiting for them to sort it out. A bunch of yahoos get on the radio to make superfluous comments.
Which is worse?
Just my opinion complain after the fact not during the event and not on the radio.

The important thing is a boat made a distress call, it was heard and assistance was sent.

Assistance was delayed due to incompetence.

The complaints on 16 were not right for sure, but on asking "which is worse" frustrated amateurs trying to make a point or inadequately rained professionals in a safety critical role. Are you really asking that question?

 

[Uricanejack]

Assistance was delayed due to incompetence.

The complaints on 16 were not right for sure, but on asking "which is worse" frustrated amateurs trying to make a point or inadequately rained professionals in a safety critical role. Are you really asking that question?

Are you sure it was incompetence.
Miss communication, two stations answering, and not being clear with each other which was taking charge. yes its a problem. even so the response had already been dispatched. Allow them to complete their communication and they would sort it out. Interrupting the communication could only hinder the situation being sorted. So yes I would ask the question.
In any event. the participants hopefully learned something and next time there is an incident in a boundary area they might be quicker in resolving who is acting as the coordination center.

I know its a hot button. I feel for those who were displaced by the amalgamation of the old stations. And there is some bad feeling about the replacements. Competence only comes with experience and practice perhaps this was lack of experience on the part of both operators.

 

[Elessar]

Are you sure it was incompetence.
Miss communication, two stations answering, and not being clear with each other which was taking charge. yes its a problem. even so the response had already been dispatched. Allow them to complete their communication and they would sort it out. Interrupting the communication could only hinder the situation being sorted. So yes I would ask the question.
In any event. the participants hopefully learned something and next time there is an incident in a boundary area they might be quicker in resolving who is acting as the coordination center.

I know its a hot button. I feel for those who were displaced by the amalgamation of the old stations. And there is some bad feeling about the replacements. Competence only comes with experience and practice perhaps this was lack of experience on the part of both operators.

So they may not have been incompetent just inexperienced. The response might not have been delayed despite obvious errors because they might not have been going in the wrong direction. And public confidence might not have been reduced despite people protesting on the emergency distress channel.

Oh that's all ok then.