Post on 04-Apr-2022
MIRCSmallBoatsHead
InstructionsforSafetyBoatDriversandAssistants
Background
Theracetakesplaceoveracourseofapproximately2500metres(seemapappendix1).
Threemainsafetyboatswillbeonthewaterfortheevent,twoclubboatsandoneprovidedbyanexternalcompany,plusoneadditionalclublaunchinthefinishmarshallingareawhichcanalsoprovidecover.
Thetwoclubboatswilllaunchfromtheclubby8.00ampriortothefirstdivisionboatingataround8.15am.TheRIBrescueboatwilllaunchatthepublicslipwayatAllingtonLockandmotorupstreamtotheclub(approx.15minutesat3knots)intimetocollectradiosfromthesafetyboatco-ordinatorby7.45am.Therewillbeabriefingforsafetyboatdriversat8.00am.
AllsafetyboatswillbeinradiocommunicationwiththeRaceUmpireonthesamefrequencyastheumpires.IntheeventofanincidentbeingreportedbyanumpiresafetyboatsshouldtaketheirinstructionsfromtheRaceUmpireunlesstheyareinvisualsiteoftheincidentinwhichcasetheyshouldrespondundertheirowninitiative.Allboatsshouldcarrytwocrew;thedriverandanassistant.ThelaunchwillcarryaradioandasafetybagwithcontentsappropriatetotheenvironmentandtheguidancelaiddowninRowSafe.
Locationswillbe;
Startsafety;clublaunchatstartmarshallingarea.Positionhalfwayupfirststraightonceraceunderway.Thislaunchwillalsotaketheumpirestotheirlocationonthefirstbend.
Clubsafety;VisitingSafetyLaunchjustbelowclubhousebysilverfootbridgeinapexofbend.Thislaunchwillprovidegeneralbackupforanyincidentalongthecoursenotabletobehandledbythenearestlaunch.
Finishsafety;clublaunchjustbelowfinish
Palacesafety;clublaunchoverseeingfinishmarshalling
Theriverhasbeensplitintozonesforthepurposeoftheidentificationofthelocationofanyincident.Seemaponappendix2.Thefollowingzonesaretheresponsibilityoftheseboats;
Zones1(beforeracestart),2and3StartSafety
Zones4and5ClubSafetyplusbackuptootherzonesintheeventofamoreseriousincident
Zones6and7FinishSafety
Zone7alsocoveredbyPalaceSafetyboatmarshallingboatsatthefinish
Whattodointheeventofarescue
Ifyouarecalledupontoeffectarescuethemostlikelycausewillbeacapsizeofasingleordouble/pair,orarowerindistresssufferingamedicalcondition(asthmaattack,heartattacketc).Onceyouhaverespondedtotheincidentthechiefconcernmustalwaysbeforthesafetyoftherowers,otherriverusersandyourselves.Beawareweusuallyhavealargeentryfromjuniorsofmixedexperience.Theumpireswilltrytokeeptheeventunderwayunlessitisunsafetodoso.
Onceonthesceneassesstheincident.Intheeventofacapsize,iftherowerisattemptingtogetbackintoboatanddoesnotappearindistressyoumayallowthemtodothisbutstayincloseattendanceandstepiniftoomuchtimeelapses.Assumingtheyarenotcapableofthistheneffectarescueoftherower(s)andensureblanketsareusedtokeepthemwarm.Iftherower(s)arenotdistressedandyoucansafelyrecovertheboataswellthendosotocleartheracingline(TheclubRIBSareprobablynotofsufficientsizetotakeevenasinglescullonboard).Atleasttrymovetheboattothebankwhereitcanberecovered.Pleasetrytoavoiddamagetotheboatduringthisprocess.Onceyouhavetherower(s)aboardyoushouldreturntotheclubwheretheFirstAidtentislocatedandhotshowersareavailable.Pleaseusejudgementonthespeedyouneedtousetoreturn.Ifrower(s)notdistressedpleasekeepwashtoaminimumtoavoidprovokingfurtherincidents.
Intheeventofamoreseriousincident,which,inyourjudgement,requiresanemergencyambulancetoattendyoushouldradiothistoCHIEFUMPIRE(HarrySalmon–telephone07970546040)soonecanbecalled,orifyoucannotcontacttheChiefUmpirethendial999yourself.Thisshouldbealastresortbutdonotdelaycallinganambulanceifitisneeded.TheFirstAiderbasedattheclubcanrespondtoanincidentbybikeonthetowpathtoassessifrequired.Ifyouarenotabletomovethevictimsafelyfromthelocationoftheincidentthentheambulanceshouldbedirectedbycontroltothenearestroadaccesspoint(Archbishop’sPalace,TheRowingClub,Monkton’sLane,TheMaltaInn).
PleasetrytokeeptheRaceUmpire/RaceControlfullyinformedastothestatusoftheincidentviatheradioandalsoadvisetheracenumberandclubnamesocontrolcaninformtheirclubcontact.
Breaksandrefreshments
Comfortbreaksandrefreshmentbreaksshouldbestaggeredasfollowspleasetomaintaincontinuousonwatercoverintheareasrequired.Nonclubmembersontheboatswillbeprovidedwithrefreshmentvouchersforuseatthestallintheclub.
Startsafety.Afterlastcrewhasleftthezonesyouareresponsiblefor,collectumpiresfromfarbanklocationsandfollowfinalcrewindivisionuptoclub.OnceatclubpeeloffandletClubSafetyfollowcrewtofinish.Needtobeafloatagainbeforenextdivisioncommencesboating.Breaktimeapprox20/30mins.
Clubsafety.OncelastcrewhaspassedyourlocationtakeoverfollowingthisboatfromStartSafety.Oncecrewhaspassedthefinishpleasewaitwhilecrewsaremarshalledandsentbacktoclub.Followcrewsbacktoclubandthenyoucangoashore.Pleaseremaininradiocontactincaseofanincidentonthewaterrequiringmoreattentionthanthetwoclubboatscanprovide.Needtobeafloatagainbeforenextdivisionstartsboatingandmovingoffdownstream.Breaktimeapprox20mins.
FinishSafety.OnceallcrewsarefinishedyouaretoremainontheTownStraighttoprovidecoverforreturningcrews.Stayafloatuntilcrewshaveboatedforthenextdivisionandthenyoucancomeashorewhilecrewsareassembledforthenextstart.Breaktimeapprox30mins.
PalaceSafety.Yourchiefroleistomarshalboatsbeforetheirreturntotheclubbutalsoactasasafetycoverifneeded.AswithFinishSafetyyoushouldstayafloatuntilthenextdivisionhasboated.Needtobeafloatoncenextdivisionhasbeenstarted.Breaktimeapprox30mins.
IfforanyreasonyouneedtoleaveyourlocationatothertimespleaseadvisetheSBCsohecanreallocatecover.
RadioProtocol
Forthoseofyouwhoarenotfamiliarwithusingashortwaveradiothesearethebasics
Onlyusetheradiowhenitisnecessary–avoidunnecessarychatter
Allradioswillbesettothecorrectfrequencybeforeyoucollectthem.Thiswillusuallybechannel1.ItisrarebutImayaskyoutoswitchtoanalternatechannelifIwanttohaveaprivatediscussionwithyouandavoidclogginguptheradioforotherusers.Don’tforgettoswitchbacktochannel1afterwards.
Itcansometimesbedifficulttoheartheradiooverthenoiseoftheoutboardsokeepthevolumelevelonfull.
Tocallsomeonedepressandholdthebuttononthesideoftheradio.Keptithelddownwhiletalkingandthenreleasetohearthereply.Theremaybeasmalldelaybetweendepressingthebuttonanditbeingreadytotransmitasweuseabasestationattheclub,sodepressandwaitasecondbeforespeaking.
Tocallsomeone,firstusetheircallsign(name)toalertthemthatthemessageisforthem(sayingthenametwiceishelpfulasitismorelikelytoattracttheirattention)andthenidentifyyourself.Thenawaittheiracknowledgementbeforesendingyourmessage.Aftereachtransmissioneithersay‘over’ifyourequireafurtheransweror‘out’ifyouwanttoendtheconversation.Don’tuse‘overandout’.
EG.
HarrySalmon,HarrySalmonthisisSafetyFinishOVER
HarrySalmonreceiving,sendtransmissionOVER
Wehaveascullerinthewater.LocationonTownStraight.Weareresponding.Scullerisnumber52fromMaidstoneOVER
ThankyouSafetyFinish,pleasekeepmeinformedastoyoursituationOUT
Or
SafetyFinish,SafetyFinish,thisisHarrySalmon,OVER
SafetyFinishreceiving,sendtransmission,OVER
SafetyFinishwehaveacapsizeundertheHighLevelrailwayBridge.Pleaserespond,OVER
WearerespondingnowandwillconfirmdetailsassoonaspossibleOUT
Appendix1–COURSEMAP