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Diary - june 2007

Wednesday 6th June 2007 19:30hrs – Probationer Radio Training

I have agreed to help out with radio training for our probationary members tonight. The idea is that we go for a wander, finding various locations around Hayfield and relaying back information when we get there. I am with Anthony, but as he used to be a policeman in the past, he is quite used to using a radio. There is a little bit of getting used to our procedures, but our evening quickly turns into a walk and a chat, rudely interrupted by base every now and then, requesting information. The early radio traffic keeps us amused as people suddenly realize that as soon as you push the “talk” button on your radio, whatever you were about to say goes straight out of your mind and you are left with a stream of “Err, Umm,…..Roger?” The shaky start seems to pass and people soon get in their stride. You could hear the cogs turning as they are asked to spell names and places phonetically. After a couple of “Disco’s” and “Umbrella’s” everyone started to get the correct names for the letters. We only had one winner of the “Over and Out” prize all evening. It’s a team pet hate – you are either “Over” or “Out”, you can’t be both. I won’t say who won it!

Finally we were given a grid reference for our final location. It worked out to be somewhere near the hut, so we thought we would call it a night and head back. If it was wrong they could always send us on again. They kindly agreed to let us finish and as it had been a warm night for walking, we all made sure we replenished our fluid intake in the pub!

Friday 8th June 2007 20:00hrs (ish) – Social Night

There have been a few changes in the team recently, so Ken invited everyone out for a few drinks and a chat about things. The discussions went on long into the night and sore heads were the order of the next day.

Saturday 9th June 2007 14:37hrs – Callout

Saturday afternoon and I am with the family at the in-laws. We have just been to the Parade in New Mills and are relaxing in the sun. Unusually the weather has been exceptionally warm over the past few days and after last night’s “discussions” I am still feeling slightly dehydrated. We are just starting to think about heading home when I receive a text message. “Callout RV Hut – Darren”. I herd the family back to the car and we rush home so I can get ready. I gather up my gear, call in to check that the vehicles have been collected and make my way to the hut.

When I arrive, there is a report of a man with a lower leg injury at Red Brook near the top of Kinder. A fast response party has been dispatched to his location and I am asked to join Neale, Ryan and Ian to follow with the heavy gear. Vinny gives us a lift up to Edale Cross in one of the Landrovers, but the track is now so badly broken up that it is really slow going. At one point we have to get out to let the vehicle get over a bad rocky step. We finally make it up there and start to make our way to the Casualty Site. Ian and Ryan volunteer to carry the two halves of the stretcher. We start at a quick pace to try and catch up with the advanced party. It is a very hot day and not the conditions to be carrying heavy weights quickly.

After about a half hour of flat out walking we arrive at the Casualty site. A gentleman has been out walking with a group of friends and damaged his leg. Pete and Mike are looking after him and are in the process of applying one of our vacuum splints. He is in a lot of pain and by the way it is starting to swell, it looks like it could be broken.

We quickly get the stretcher assembled and take it over so that we can get him loaded up and comfortable for the carry off.

It takes a few goes on the Entonox before he is ready to be moved, but eventually we managed to help him on to the stretcher and get him securely strapped in. We use eight people to carry the stretcher and normally have a close and far navigator to guide the stretcher party as well as another group of eight to rotate carrying shifts with. As only two teams of four had arrived it was all hands to the pump and everyone was involved in the carry.

It was tough going with so few of us in the hot weather. Eventually we heard that Kinder 3 had made it to the Cas site and were now catching us up. So we took a quick breather while they finally made it to us and gave the guys at the front and back a rest, as they carry the majority of the weight.

Once a few more people had arrived, we started to make better time, though it would still take a few hours from here. Although the man was obviously still in a lot of pain, he managed to keep his sense of humor all the way.

The last part of the carry off seemed to last for ages, as we made our way to Edale Cross and the waiting Landrover.

Finally we were there. We decided it would be more comfortable for the man to sit across the back seat on the way down rather than load the stretcher in the back. It is a very bumpy track and he would feel the bumps a bit more in the back.

Some of the team went back in the other Landrover, but the rest of us decided to walk down the track. It turned out to be a good decision, as it was quicker for us to walk than it was for the Landrovers to gently crawl down. They managed to get down with the minimum of bumps, but once they got to the tarmac road they left us far behind.

Normally we have transport as soon as we get to the road head, but as we were a bit light on numbers today, we were almost back before the Landrover returned to collect us. As it was a nice day, we decided we may as well walk the whole way.

By the time we got back the man had been transferred to a road Ambulance and taken to the hospital. We had a quick debrief, Darren told us that his friends had kindly left some money behind the bar to buy us all a drink. By now I was desperately thirsty and that was just what I needed. It had been a hard day for everyone involved, but a successful end to what could have been a very difficult injury.

More photos...

Monday 12th June 2007 19:30hrs - Casualty Care Training

A detailed theory session tonight from Doctor Ian. He is covering circulation issues. We go through the ins and outs of how blood flows around the body. There is a bit of the mechanics of how it all works, followed by the symptoms of what happens when it all goes wrong. We go through the effects of shock on the body and how to manage it once we have spotted it.

All of this is accompanied with the usual gory anecdotes to give it that extra element of realism.

Sunday 17th June 2007 09:00hrs – Kinder Kinder Trog Fell Race

Today is slightly different, Alan our usual diary writer is away, so for one day only I am the mystery writer. Any guesses?

Today is the Kinder Trog Fell Race, an 18 mile trek up and around Hayfield. The team has been asked to provide cover for the race as we have done on previous years. We assembled at the hut at 09:00 split into groups and were sent to various locations on the fell runner’s route. I was in Kinder 3 as radio with Bob as party leader & Vinny as Casualty Care. Our location to cover the race was at the top of Sandy Heys on the Pennine Way footpath. So we drive up to the filter house, walked along side the reservoir and up Sandy Heys. Once at the top visibility was poor, this is bad as lost fell runners isn’t a good thing.

As for today there is a lot of sitting around, so we find a nice spot out of the wind, sit and wait for the first runner and have a quick bit to eat. It is only I that can open a packet of crisps then accidentally tip them all out over the floor. I was not too impressed with myself with that one.

This hanging around gave good time to practice using our radios, mainly for the probationers, who two weeks earlier had radio training. So today was a good day to practice on the hill. Steve was in Kinder 4 at the top of Redbrook and Chris was in Kinder 2 at Mill Hill. We were given instructions from Kinder link such as spelling our names in the phonetic alphabet and sit reps etc. Using the radios can be quite a nervous thing. Knowing as soon as the button is pressed, everybody can hear and your mind just at that moment forgets what to say. But I think we got better through out the day. During all this time using the radios I missed taking the photo of the first runner (sorry if you were the first runner).

By now the mist had lifted to give the usual great views from the top of kinder.

As the last of the runners came past us the sweeper, the final runner who is a marshal, informs us that he is the last runner. Our informed descriptions via radio of the final sweeper differed somewhat, so we didn’t know who & what to expect.

We hang on at our location until the final runner has passed Kinder 4 at Redbrook and Steve radios us and informs us. We make our way round to Redbrook and walk off the hill down the Three Knowles path and across back the filter house to pick up the car.

Back at the Hut Janet the little star greets us with a cup of tea, we then have a quick debrief and a just a quick one at our local.

Wednesday 20th May 2007 – Probationer Training

This month’s Wednesday training also doubles up as the final exercise for the probationary members training program. This is where they are supposed to bring together all the skills they have learned during their training and carry them out in a full exercise, where they get all the lead roles at the Cas site.

I had been away for Sunday’s exercise, so I was glad that it was going to be on the hill. The chance of a bit of exercise! I got there with all of my gear and followed the usual procedure of signing on, putting my boots on and then milling around for ages while the people in charge got things ready. Finally I was summoned to the control room, only to be asked if I wouldn’t mind driving. Great! I got the impression that it wasn’t really meant as a question, so driving it was for me tonight then.

Mikey had been put in charge and he looked about as enthusiastic about spending the night in the control room as I did about driving.

Hamish appeared from the control room and started writing a description of the casualties on the board. Two men were injured on the top of Lantern Pike. What a surprise, that’s where they were when I did my probationary exercise. In fact, that’s where they always are for the probationary exercise. At least we’d know where to find them!

The probationers were to be the fast party. They were to go to the reported location and set up the site. Paul and myself were asked to drive them up to the drop off point. When we got there, they unloaded and set off, with Dave (who was in charge of the exercise tonight) in hot pursuit. They radioed in to let base know they were setting off without an “Over and Out” to be heard (see previous entry on probationer radio training to get that joke!).

They made their way off into the distance while I headed back to base, feeling all sorry for myself and looking forward to a night of sitting around and brewing up. When we got back Paul drove the next team up to carry the stretcher, leaving one team at base to take the last of the equipment. Just before they were about to leave, Janet kindly offered to drive for the rest of the evening. Yoohoo, I was going out on the hill after all.

I hopped in the Landrover and was dropped with the last team to take the rest of the equipment up to the Cas site.

When we got up there, things were looking busy. Chris was acting as Site Officer and had things organized. The others were busy looking after the casualties and running the radio.

Phil and Pete were acting as casualties. Phil was doing a good job of having a broken leg and by now had his leg in a traction splint. Bob and Ryan got a vacuum splint on to his leg and he was ready to be evacuated.

He was loaded on to a stretcher and we began the not too difficult carry off down the hill.

We all had a go at carrying the stretcher and over this distance, it wasn’t too much trouble. We soon reached the bottom of the hill and the end of the track. Phil was unceremoniously turfed out of his comfy ride and made to walk the rest of the way to the Landrover.

We loaded the gear on to the roof and all climbed in. Four of us had to squeeze in to the back of the Landrover. It was a little too cozy for my liking!

Back at base, we had a quick debrief and then just made it to the pub before it got too late. A good night all round and a very well run exercise by our new members. Well done.

More photos...

Friday 29th June 2007 20:00hrs – Team Meeting

Our usual end of the Month meeting has been relocated to the Conservative Club tonight. We have the usual meeting with a speedy set of reports.

After the meeting we had a “Mountain” quiz night, where every round had a mountain theme, i.e a music round where all the songs had mountains in the title. I could hardly contain my enthusiasm!