
Falmouth RNLI volunteer crew member participates in International Crew Exchange
Tamara Brookes was one of six RNLI crew members selected to take part in the recent International Maritime Rescue Federation Lifeboat Crew Exchange Programme.
The programme, organised by the International Maritime Rescue Federation and now in its 10th year, offers search and rescue organisations the opportunity to expand skills and knowledge through their members working alongside their international peers. This year the participants, including crew members from Australia, New Zealand and Madeira, were allocated to a lifeboat organisation in one of eight countries. The six RNLI members each went to a different country with Tamara going to Finland where she was hosted by the Finnish Lifeboat Institution.
The exchange included five packed days of collaboration, networking, sharing experiences and best practice and practical activities, both on and off the water. Other countries represented on the Finland exchange were Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, France and Iceland.
Tamara joined Falmouth RNLI as a trainee crew member seven years ago and last December she qualified as a helm on the stations Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat. She said:
‘It was an exhilarating, interesting and inspiring experience, so much was fitted in. They were a wonderful bunch of people and the volunteer spirit was the common thing between us all.
‘It was very dynamic and you were thrown in at the deep end. I have a lot of respect for my counterparts as they spent the week talking in a second language as English was the language spoken.
‘A lot of the learning and training was about running through scenarios, sometimes without any briefing, to see how we would coordinate and operate but it was amazing that, although we were from different countries with different training and different equipment, we came together to efficiently manage the scenarios.
‘One of these was an exercise involving locating a casualty with a suspected spinal injury and assisting them from their vessel to the shore, including doing some casualty care. Between us, we just all fell into a role. We communicated very easily and efficiently and despite being strangers, we all worked very collaboratively and your training really comes out. It was amazing how it all came together to achieve a successful outcome.’
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.
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