[d_ralph]

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A group of us are hoping to dive in the Clyde this weekend and next week.  A friend told me that the chamber at Millport has closed.  Does anyone know if that is true and if so who should you contact if you have any problems?

thanks

 

[peter k]

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hi,
   Millport is shutdown for a new one to get fitted in. As far as I know it isn't open yet. If you've a problem 'phone Aberdeen on 01224-681-818 and ask for the duty diving doctor. You'll get someone there that'll get sh*t organised for you be it an air-lift or ambulance. Alternativly channel 16 on the VHF and let the Coastguard know. They'll speak to Aberdeen themselves.

Hope you don't need it,
Peter

 

[Gavin Yates]

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<font color='#000F22'>Millport has been closed for a while.

They're sticking a new super-duper pot in I'm told.

I've been told to never contact the pot directly.

Call the coastguard and he will direct you through the process and get help to you.

For non-urgent/less urgent then call DDRC or Aberdeen I 'spose. I'm sure that one of the hyperbaric specialist will post more exact info.


I was on the Clyde last weekend. Be careful the viz is it's usual self and some of the wrecks have degraded since I was last in in May.

 

[d_ralph]

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The info was that the chamber at Millport had closed for good.  Nice to know that it is only a temporary closure.  many thanks for all the information.  As you say, hope we don't need to use any of it.

 

[722]

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Quote[/b] (Gavin Yates @ Aug. 22 2003,14:26)]I've been told to never contact the pot directly.

Call the coastguard and he will direct you through the process and get help to you.

I was also told this at a DDRC open day.

The reason;

Only the coastguard can request a helicopter and co-ordinate other emergency services. The chambers cannot.

Adrian

 

[angleseydiver]

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<font color='#000080'>As said by Gavin & Adrian-

       Deal with ALL incidents through the Coastguard.

ATB,
         Terry

 

[Hyperbaric]

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<font color='#0000FF'>

Quote[/b] (Adrian Kelland @ Aug. 22 2003,16:34)]Only the coastguard can request a helicopter and co-ordinate other emergency services. The chambers cannot.

AFAIK few, if any, chamber units have established links with the appropriate emergency / rescue services. However, the on-call consultant at the Hyperbaric Medicine Unit in Aberdeen, and his / her RN counterpart responsible for the rest of the UK, can request transport from coastguard, RAF, ambulance service, etc, to the most appropriate chamber (if indeed such a trip is actually indicated).

When you call the coastguard in Scotland (and some other parts of the UK) they need to get in touch with Aberdeen anyway.

However, as posted by others, the fewer phone numbers you have to remember the better - there is certainly nothing wrong with calling the coastguard, but if you are already back home, or on your way there, then calling the HMU or RN number will be the best bet. These co-ordinators operate a 24/7 service - that's what they are paid for, and they would much rather have a concerned diver call at 3am than have to read about a dead one during office hours.

Remember too that one of the first signs of DCI is denial. People have been admitted unable to stand, but have still genuinely believed that nothing was seriously wrong with them. You don't have to be the affected diver in order to make the call for advice.

As posted, the number in Scotland is 01224-681818 (ask for duty hyperbaric consultant), the number for the RN doctor in the rest of the UK is 07831-151523. Don't worry too much about which number to call if you are unsure - the two co-ordinators can liase with each other and advise you anyway.

The British Hyperbaric Association (BHA) produce a credit-card sized Diver Help Card, which can be ordered for a squid or two direct from them, or free from the HMU in Aberdeen if you send a SAE, which has the two contact numbers, first aid advice and the most common signs of DCI - see. www.hyperchamber.com/decompression_illness#referral

For details of a training course in recognising DCI, first aid (including O2 administration) and the role of recompression chambers, see. www.hyperchamber.com/chamberday - please note that the HMU in Aberdeen is a non-profit organisation, health and safety education for recreational SCUBA divers is part of the remit for which we are funded by NHS Scotland - the fee is a nominal charge.

 

[Phill]

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Although the new pot is running very, very, very late it appears to be getting there. I've given up believing any completion dates given to me by the company. Rumour has it (from a helio pilot !!) that the Lloyds man is flying up next week, so watch this space.
If any of you are passing feel free to pop in and have a shuftie. Clyde Coastguard will willingly contact me for you and arrange a time. It's still adjacent to our pier.
Phil

 

[722]

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Quote[/b] (Hyperbaric @ Aug. 25 2003,18:08)]

Quote[/b] (Adrian Kelland @ Aug. 22 2003,16:34)]Only the coastguard can request a helicopter and co-ordinate other emergency services. The chambers cannot.

AFAIK few, if any, chamber units have established links with the appropriate emergency / rescue services. However, the on-call consultant at the Hyperbaric Medicine Unit in Aberdeen, and his / her RN counterpart responsible for the rest of the UK, can request transport from coastguard, RAF, ambulance service, etc, to the most appropriate chamber (if indeed such a trip is actually indicated).

Obviously I can only quote from what I was told at DDRC  regarding this, and welcome other input.

My understanding for an emergency;

If you call the coastguard, they don't call the helicopter directly. All the helicopter control is done though one place (Lossiemouth IIRC). They call the appropriate station. I think this even goes for the CG helicopters, it makes sense, but I am not sure. I don't know where the co-ordination of what pot is to be used is done. For sea based incidents, this is ususally obvious. Though those in North Devon now have Cardiff as a closer possibility.

BTW, another reason to use VHF radio rather than phone 999 for the CG; there are only a few lines into the control rooms.

Recently there was a boat on fire down here that could be seen from shore. It was estimated that over 50 people phoned 999, but it is only possible to put a few of them through. You could just be lost in the queue. This is on top of the usual issue of direction finding, multi listener advantages of the VHF.

Adrian

 

[Phill]

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Quote[/b] (Adrian Kelland @ Aug. 29 2003,14:27)]If you call the coastguard, they don't call the helicopter directly. All the helicopter control is done though one place (Lossiemouth IIRC). They call the appropriate station. I think this even goes for the CG helicopters, it makes sense, but I am not sure. I don't know where the co-ordination of what pot is to be used is done. For sea based incidents, this is ususally obvious.
Adrian

All forces rescueaircraft are tasked from RCCK (rescue and co-ordination centre Kinross). All air ambulances are tasked from AirDesk, all  CG helios are tasked from CG MRCC/MRSCs. Coastguard have direct lines to the other centres and work closely with them.
Chamber co-ordination is undertaken by the consultants on the two much publicised help lines matching the condition of the patient to a suitable chamber, then checking, either directly or, for at sea incidents, via the MRCC/MRSC covering the area if the chamber is available.

 

[722]

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Quote[/b] (Phill @ Aug. 29 2003,16:22)]All forces rescueaircraft are tasked from RCCK (rescue and co-ordination centre Kinross).

Thanks Phill

I knew it was Scotland somewhere, but without looking it up, I was bound to get it wrong  

Thanks for the routing info. Much of that makes sense, just one question.

Do the CG still involve Kinross before launching the own helis? It could be that another heli could be nearer that the CG one by shear chance (on exercise etc).

Adrian

 

[Phill]

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Yep, at £4200 per hour the phone call's worth it !

 

[ANDY 64]

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<font color='#FF7F00'>

Quote[/b] ]All forces rescueaircraft are tasked from RCCK (rescue and co-ordination centre Kinross). All air ambulances are tasked from AirDesk, all  CG helios are tasked from CG MRCC/MRSCs. Coastguard have direct lines to the other centres and work closely with them.

A MoD SAR ( Search And Rescue ) aircraft are tasked on deployment from 1 of 2 Rescue Cordination Centres based in the UK. One is based at Mountbatten in Plymouth covering the southern region and the other is at Patrive castle in Scotland covering the north.

MoD SAR helicopters are called direct from the nearest Coastguard station that is dealing with the incident using a directline phone to the duty officer in the crewroom, meanwhile a TELEX is sent to the relevent RCC from the coastguard giving relevent details on the job in hand.

High cover aircraft from Coastal command that have NIMROD aircraft, ( Rescue callsigns  RESCUE 001 in the South and Rescue 002 in the north ) are call upon to act in a SAR mission from the duty officer ONLY from a RCC at a request from a WATCH manager in the coastguard.

Royal Navy helicopter are the only ones to carry a quailified DIVER, as Diver is a branch of the Navy all winchman must be quailifed to Ships Diver.

Helicopters contracted to the MCA from Bristows are all manned by civilian aircrew that have had operational flying duties within thier career, with the winchman having been paramedic standard for at least 5 years before flying duties on these aircraft. These helicopters are also contacted directly from a coastguard station .

AIR AMBULANCES do not have any connection within the SAR role, but however can be called upon to ASSIST, the helicopter can only be called upon by any of the 5 emergency services via the AMBULANCE control room covering the county of the incident.

POLICE helicopters can be used for SAR roles and are often called upon mainly for SEARCHES by using it high powered NITESUN spot light and FLIR camera.

Rescue aircraft from other countries can also be called upon via RCC or Coastguard, here at Dover, we often see French,German and Belguim sea kings exercising in the Dover Straits. Belguim helicopters crews are like our navy and carry a winchman/diver. ( Belguim have a reco chamber, which to us is quicker and nearer to us here ).

When the assistant of a RNLI lifeboat is required, contact is firstly made to the stations LAUNCHING AUTH ( LA ), and are asked  " REQUEST LAUNCH ", it's up to the stations LA to wether the boat is launch or not.

Hope this helps and clears up a few things.

Andy

Ex Aux CG, ex Walmer Launching crew,  Father was 28 years in coastguard