Volunteers benefit from cross-agency training and briefing

Built on a former World War I gun emplacement, the Coastguard Station overlooks the Strait of Dover which became known as ‘Hellfire Corner’ during World War II due to the gunnery duel between British and German forces.

Lifeboat crew were given a tour of the Operations Room, workplace of three further Walmer volunteers, where the work of the station and mobile teams was explained. More than 500 ships a day pass through the Strait under the watchful eye of the coastguard. They were shown live radar feeds, across multiple computer screens, of vessels moving through the English Channel and up as far as Felixstowe. They were able to listen to transmissions between ships and the coastguard. The system by which calls are co-ordinated between all the emergency services was also explained as was how lifeboat training exercises at weekends across up to twenty different stations is co-ordinated.

The Coastguard Rescue helicopter also landed at the station, and the lifeboat crew was invited to sit in the aircraft. An explanation was given of how it operates in a search and rescue capacity, including how their winching operations are carried out between it, casualties and casualty vessels.

The evening ended with lifeboat crew watching the helicopter take off to return to its base at Lydd, producing a downdraft estimated as the same force as a Category 1 hurricane.

In discussions after the visit, crew commented on the calm atmosphere in the sometimes pressurised environment of the Ops Room and were fascinated by the amount of technical equipment available to and operated by the duty officers.

RNLI media contacts

• Chris Winslade, Lifeboat Press Officer, Walmer Lifeboat Station 01304 374475, 07906 623037 [email protected]

· Paul Dunt, RNLI Press Officer (London/East/South East) on 0207 620 7426, 07785 296252, [email protected]

· For enquiries outside normal business hours, contact the RNLI duty press officer on 01202 336789

RNLI online: For more information on the RNLI please visit http://www.rnli.org/. News releases and other media resources, including RSS feeds, downloadable photos and video, are available at the RNLI News Centre.

Key facts about the RNLI

The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.

Learn more about the RNLI

For more information please visit the RNLI website or Facebook, X, TikTok and YouTube. News releases, videos and photos are available on the News Centre.

Contacting the RNLI - public enquiries

Members of the public may contact the RNLI on 0300 300 9990 (UK) or 1800 991802 (Ireland) or by email.