You can join our life-saving team

Oct 24 2008 by Lisa Boyle

THEY’RE dedicated to saving lives and they need your help.

For Ayr Coastguard have appealed for more volunteers to give up their time and energy to provide the vital service.

The team, based in Ayr’s North Harbour Street, have a wide-ranging role.

So far this year, they have been called out more than 50 times.

They co-ordinate search and rescue operations, evacuate residents in hazardous areas, rescue people stranded on cliffs and regularly identify suspicious objects washed up on the beach.

Ayr Coastguard are also involved in educating youngsters on sea safety and how to contact the appropriate emergency services.

And the team are looking for like-minded men and women to join them.

Volunteers will be provided with specialist training in cliff rescue, mud rescue, search methods and flood relief, as well as first aid training.

Officers should be available for formal training once a month and informal training on a weekly basis.

The team all have their own pager and can be called upon any time, day or night.

Anyone can join the Coastguard, providing you are aged between 16 and 65 and are fit and healthy.

The team at Ayr are like a bunch of pals who enjoy a laugh and carry-on when they are not on a job.

Drew Hall, station officer, is a senior social worker, Ronnie Younger, deputy station officer, is the director of Resi-Unique flooring company, Andrew Hill is a prison intelligence officer, Billy Mackie is an LGV driver, Brian Kyles is a company director, George McNaughton is a surveyor, Tom McNaught is a prison officer and the only female of the gang is Jill Turner, a nurse practioner.

Drew has been with the Coastguard for 24 years, and loves the job as much now as he ever has.

He said: “The nature of the call-outs have changed. In the past, a lot of the calls were related to trade, such as fishing boats getting into trouble.

“But now it tends to be more drug and alcohol abusers who take up a lot of the call-outs.”

The newest member of the team is 44-year-old Tom, who wishes he had done it long ago.

Tom said: “I had the notion of joining for a while but I finally joined just over a year ago and I love it.

“I was thrown in at the deep end when I started, a guy fell in a fjord in Stewarton when I was just in the door. But it gave me a good flavour of what the job is all about.”

As well as rescuing people, the team have also been known to rescue animals.

In April last year, the team saved Pepe the pooch who had been stranded on a cliff edge at Failford for eight days.

The Coastguard were called in by the fire service because of their expertise in cliff rescue.

Ronnie said: “This job can be really rewarding at times. It was a great feeling reuniting the dog with its owners.”

Although being a member of the Coastguard has its ups, it can be very trying both physically and emotionally. Last year, the Coastguard assisted in the recovery of five bodies. But this year, thankfully, there have been none.

Ronnie said: “Nobody has to do anything they don’t want to do. Counselling is available to us but after a job like that, we come back to the base and have a cup of tea and talk it out. That helps us all deal with it and also identify if anyone is having difficulty coping.”

Although the team are paid a modest fee to cover expenses, the money is not enough to act as an incentive for people who are thinking about joining.

Although it’s much more than a hobby, it is not a career either.

And the team are quite specific that they don’t require people who want to be heroes.

The Ayr Coastguard are holding an open night on Wednesday, October 29, from 7pm.

The base is at North Harbour Street Industrial Estate (turn right immediately before the motorcycle shop).

For more information or to register your interest in joining the team email drew.hall@ayr-coastguard.org.uk or ronnie.younger@ayr-coastguard.org.uk