MAYO MOUNTAIN RESCUE TEAM
OTHER STUFF
OPERATIONAL LINKS FOR REEK SUNDAY
Callout Guidelines:
In an EMERGENCY if you require the assistance of a Mountain Rescue Team dial 999 OR 112. You will get through to an emergency operator who will ask you what service you require. State "Mountain Rescue" and the team/area you require.
You will be put through to a representative of a mountain rescue team who may inquire about or request some or all of the following information if available.
1. Nature of emergency: Lost, Injured,
Disorientation, Hypothermia, etc
2. Number of people in party.
3. Injuries type (If any) , numbers of injured, level of consciousness of
injured parties, degree of disability or mobility of injured parties.
Medical history injured parties, Medications.
4. If lost, last known location or any obvious visible landmarks.
5. Point of departure, direction of travel, route plan, duration and speed
of travel.
6. Your name, address and contact number.
7. Protective clothing and shelter (Bivvy bags, etc) available
Obviously if you are calling on a mobile phone from a mountain, the Mountain Rescue personnel will be mindful of problems that this may involve such as poor signal, limited battery life, descending darkness and/or visibility and other factors and so they will be attempting to determine the most vital information to initially dispatch a first response team and ultimately, if necessary, a full team turnout to effect a rescue.
Bear in mind that, depending on your location and your accuracy in pinpointing this to the mountain rescue representative, it may be some hours before a mountain rescue team reaches you, and some more before a complete rescue is possible. With this taken into consideration, the rescue team will be endeavoring to make your wait for rescue as comfortable and safe as possible. If you have contacted emergency services by mobile phone, they may attempt to call you back again to establish further information.
SPECIFIC IMPORTANT POINTS TO CONSIDER:
1. Do not assume that your mobile phone will have a
signal
2. If you do not know where you are, do not expect the mountain rescue
team to be able to accurately pinpoint your location either.
3. Do not assume that a helicopter will be available and even if it is
that it will be able to effect a rescue.
4. Do not assume that the mountain rescue team will be on location within
an hour or two of your telephone call.
5. Do not assume that because there is a mountain rescue team available,
that you are not responsible for your own safety and that you do not have
a duty of care to yourself and others when on mountains.
6. Do not assume that because the sun is shining and it is a nice day when
you embark on your adventure, that the weather can't possibly deteriorate rapidly to a level that could bring on hypothermia and even death within a
short period of time.
7. Do not assume that the weather conditions on the top of a mountain will
be the same as on the bottom.
8. Do not assume that it is not possible to get hypothermia or even
frostbite on an Irish mountain even in July.
9. Do not assume that the clothes that you are wearing are sufficient and
because you don't expect to be out long that you don't have any need for
extra clothing or that you needn't bring food or water.
10. Do not assume that because you are departing in the morning you will
not have need for a light source.
11. Plastic bivvy survival bags cost about €6 and fit neatly in the
bottom of even a small backpack but they could save your life on a
mountain - get one and always carry it with you.
12. Even if you have no light source or no way of communicating with a
search team, a whistle may assist them in locating you.
SAFE HILL WALKING AND ENJOY!