Deaf Scout Sections at 1st Chelmsford

Posted 09:09:39, 24/05/10 by Stephan Nicholls, 0 comments posted  
The Deaf Scout Sections at 1st Chelmsford have been working between Jan and April this year on a Search and Rescue program. At our meetings we have been learning how to organise a search and rescue operation by splittng it into 3 stages:

Firstly we looked at how to work out where a missing party are likely to be, such as a group of Scouts out hiking that have got lost. We looked at how to split up all the people you have into search parties of at least 4 people and how to split up the field of search and assign search parties to each area. We looked at communication and how we appoint a controller and keep in touch (in our case via text messaging) so the controller knows where everyone is and knows as soon as the missing people are found so they can call back the other parties. We also looked at why it is important to record exactly who is in each search party, where they are searching, what time they set off, and the times and details of any messages received.

Next we looked at how to administer First Aid to anyone the search parties might find that is suffering from illness or injury. This part got everyone in the troop either a level 2 orlevel 3 Emergency Aid badge.

Finally we look at different ways of getting people back to base if they can not walk themselves, including 2, 3 and 4 handed seats and how to make a streature out of rope.

Finally we all took part in a full blown search and rescue exercise at Belchamps Scout Camp where the troop were given a a situation where two leaders had gone for a walk round the site at 6am, they were due back at 8am but had not arrived the 'Chelmsford Deaf Scout Mountin Rescue Team' were called and arrived at 10.00 to organise a Search and Rescue. The Scouts between them appointed a controller and split into two teams to search half the site each. each team armed themselves with a map and a first aid kit and started off. all this was done within 20 mins and was all recorded. The first casuilty was found after another 20 mins, lost, worried and mildly hyperthermic, with a minot injury to her arm -a bandage and sling were applied imeadiatly by the search team. The second casuilty was foung a few mins later - he had tripped over a tree stump and broken a leg so a message was sent back giving the location and asking for a streature. By this time the other search party had arrived back so they took the streature to meet the casuilty. The casuilty was loaded into the streature and was then carried back to base - just to make things interesting - the route back to base included a couple of parts of the assult course that the team had to get the streature through. The recovery of the streature took just over an hour. People took turns at being in thestreature to see what it was like.

Everyone had a great time and learnt a lot about the problems encountered by Mountain and Cave Rescue teams - and how long and complex these operations can be. Afterward we all had soup and hot dogs.

Paul wise,
AGSL (Deaf Sections),
1st Chelmsford Scout Group.