PDA

View Full Version : How to Log On/Off to a Rescue Unit



Mudcrab
29-04-2004, 05:19 AM
In response to a post from JAYBEE, first thing to understand is that if you get shabbily treated by ANY Unit insofar as being given good advice or experience excessive communication delays, then please contact the Commodore of that Unit and make a report. If we don't know we can't fix it! At Vicky Point we hand out laminated and colour printed "how to" cards to Boaties plus assist them on using their radios. Without getting into another brawl, the fact remains that these 90% of Boaties do not ever communicate with rescue Units! Anyhow back to the subject.
There is no taboo on using any of the "calling channels" being:
27 MHz Channel 88 (86 standby)
VHF Channel 16 (67 standby)
These are the most continually monitored channels and you are bound to get someone first try.
Rules of engagement:
1. On your initial contact, DO NOT give the full message of your trip details. It is a "make contact only" channel only and the Radio Operator will/should ask you to go to another "working channel" for the area (usually 27 MHz 90/91 or VHF 67/73. Once on the respective channel, you can give your full details.
2. However, if you know the "working channel" already and are confident your first call will be heard, then MAKE YOUR FIRST CALL on this channel. i.e. it cuts out the middleman and you don't have to swap channels! This is by far the preferred method as radio traffic on 16/67/90/91 should be kept to a minimum but DON'T HESITATE TO USE THEM ALL THE SAME. That is what they are there for.

jaybee
29-04-2004, 05:42 AM
thanks vmr didnt know u could contact the commodore
cheers
Joe

bidkev
29-04-2004, 08:39 AM
Thanks for that VMR

kev

Kerry
29-04-2004, 12:01 PM
Ian, simply for some place to put this I've put this in here.

Your thoughts/opinions/directions these days with respect what VMR will do and where the line is drawn and who actually is controlling the directives in situations.

From what I hear there's becoming more influence from all sorts of areas like water police, canberra and other rescue entities etc.

So VMR takes the call, who makes the decisions and where does the line stop with respect assistance provided, distance involved, type of help etc etc

Cheers, Kerry.

basserman
29-04-2004, 12:37 PM
with us at port macquarie we do it as follows on ether a vhf 88 ot 27mzh 90
VMR Port Macquarie this is PM # (or) Rego#
they come back with this is VMR Port Macquarie
then you continue with some thing like ; I have XX people on board we are going 5km to the NE of your position and our return time will be WW hours
they come back with a confumation
you reply with a tanks and out!

on returne you one again ask for VRM and state your rego or number
they once again acknolege you
you then thank them for the day let them know your home safly and are logging off
they thank you and out!
you also do the same if you change your location and let them know where you are going to be next

i have never had a problem with my loacal vmr and know a few of the blokes they are the most frendly blokes and gals going and are very helpful and never look down at you
almost all the loacal boats are members of the vmr groupe and for our $25 per year know that the boys have all our contact info and boat info right at hand
personly i would never go out if i couldn't log onto the vrm as i know that when i do they are always looking out for me and will always be their to assist me if they had to and would do it with a smile on their dials ;D

bubba
29-04-2004, 02:13 PM
good point vicky point, let me assure u, ur not the only VMR who deals with this poblem. We are slowly educating the boating public and communications are getting better. The same deal applies to VMR Jacobs Well/Beenleigh, if u experience difficulties with our service contact them and explain what the problem is, cant fix if we dont know its broken. Conversly, if you want to praise them drop them a line, only to happy to chat with you about anything. Most of us do this coz we love boating and fishing. cheers bubba....

Mudcrab
29-04-2004, 06:18 PM
Hi Kerry, things remain pretty much as always re who are masters are! The Brisbane Water Police at Whyte Island are 110% in charge of our rescue operations. No matter who calls up who i.e. a Boatie calling say VMR Raby Bay, then the correct response is for the person taking the call to immediately contact VKR Water Police with full details. We advise them of the nature of the situation, how we see ourselves responding to it and anything else we know - quite often bugger all! They then either concur with our recommendations and off we go or they may require other Units to join in. One thing you can be assured of, when somebody gets into trouble (not a typical tow job) there will be rescue boats and choppers coming out of the wood work very smartly. We are not permitted to conduct ANY assistance jobs without firstly liasing with the Water Police. Even when our boats go out training, we tell them of our intentions just so they know where we are if needed. The AMSAR people in Canberra are equally efficient and would be contacted by the SARMAC of Water Police if he believes the next level of expertise is necessary. When the fisherman was lost at Flat Rock, they actually chartered a jet and flew some of the SAR guys up to assist. Now and then all the rescue units being VMR and Coastguard have a bit of a snap or cross word but when a Boatie is in ANY sort of trouble, everything is fortgotten and they all pull together. Government or Canberra or nobody interfers in any way and I can again say that the resources are seriously huge when it comes to saving somebody on the water. Money is no object! And of course, even if you rang the alarm bell by mistake, there will be no recriminations afterwards unless you were wilfully negligent and even then it is very rare for prosecutions to follow. You are all in safe hands! Direction wise, the childishness and outdated belief in individual Unit autonomy will ensure that VMR & Coastguard never get together in a single group to join forces in helping the boating industry. I know! I was on the Committee to have some 26 VMR and 24 AVCG Units across Queensland offer a united Waterside Assistance Club to every single Boatie and irrespective of where he/she experienced difficulty. After almost three years, the old guard won out and the entire shebang collapsed! One day it might happen but it will commence from the Pollies when they get up the nerve - like forget it! Bloody shame! Huge resources across the State but I can never see a united organization ever happening.

joeT
29-04-2004, 07:30 PM
If you don't have a radio, can we still log on/off using a trip details card?