Training up Marine Rescue volunteers

Marine Rescue Central Coast volunteers were put through some rigorous training exercises during the weekend of June 29-30 with the certified Firefighting and Sea Survival course.

All volunteer Marine Rescue members are required to complete the course successfully before they can become part of a certified boat crew.

The Point Clare base – soon to be demolished and replaced with a $3M state-of-the-art building – is attracting younger members.

Training Officer at the Central Coast headquarters Bob Gilbody said the fire fighting side of the course involved several different firefighting methods, including the use of fire extinguishers using foam, water and CO2.

Different methods of treating fires were also featured in the training program, including the use of fire blankets to extinguish a kitchen or galley fire.

The correct handling and ignition of rescue flares was also part of the training program.

The sea survival portion of the exercise was held at Woy Woy’s Peninsula Aquatic Centre and involved the use of an eight-person inflatable life craft.

Gilbody said the purpose of the Sea Survival course was to familiarise boat crew members with the eight-person life craft, how to survive at sea and coping with extreme weather conditions.

The volunteers were faced with difficult tasks including climbing into the craft from the water, putting life jackets on themselves and each other whilst in the water, and having to swim a specified distance towing another person, all while building confidence and trust in each other.