New statistics on Culdrose Search and Rescue raise doubts over privatisation

Ivan Ellen with Rescue 193

The Ministry of Defence has just released statistics on the Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopters maintained by the military, they detail the call outs for 2013. They confirm that Cornwall and the surrounding area is a hotspot for SAR activities and re-impresses the vital work the current Royal Navy crews at RNAS Culdrose and Royal Air Force crews at RMB Chivenor do. Again they raise cause for concern and the introduction of the privatised SAR provision which will soon be provided by just 2 aircraft by Bristow from Newquay airport.

The latest MOD/ data release reveals that Culdrose is the third busiest SAR station in terms of call outs in the last year. Totalling 257, this includes searchs and rescues on both land and sea, as well 'medtransfers' mostly from the Isles of Scilly. Close behind Culdrose was the North Devon base of Chivenor with 238 call outs which covers much of Cornwall (as well as South West England, Wales, the Channel and the Celtic Sea).

There's a great article on the Western Morning News website about Culdrose SAR recently: Bad weather means record call-outs for West rescue crews , well worth a read. It aptly demonstrates the diversity of search and rescue, including being called to a stricken vessel 200 miles from the Isles of Scilly, a medtransfer of a burns victim from Perranuthnoe to Bristol, another rescue 150 miles from Scilly. It is clear that there are times when helicopters are required to travel great distances, again as I wrote back in March last year: Good bye to the Sea King and commonsense (or is 2 helos in Cornwall enough?) In reaction to the news both Culdrose's and Chivenor's patches would be covered by just 2 helicopters. Although I'm not a fan of privatisation, I don't question the ability of Bristow to provide this services, not their crews who will be ex military and Coastguard SAR crews. But it seems a gamble to be this far stretched. It's easy to imagine a situation whereby 1 helicopter is transferring a casualty from the Isles of Scilly and another aiding a vessel in the Celtic Sea and a third call out happening.

It seems very much to my mind that the government is basing the need for 2 helicopters on the average call out and duration, whereby 2 are sufficient. Ironic in a way this was the government who spent most of their time in opposition (quite rightly) lambasting Labour for the lack of helicopters in Afghanistan.  As we saw with the London riots where police had to be called in from across the UK or the more recent floods where manpower again had to be drafted in, driving down numbers of personnel and assets puts public safety at risk. I'm sure a government response to this critique would be that Culdrose had 257 call outs last year, less than 1 a day, even including Chivenor's 238 this equals 495 less than 2 a day, maybe they've got a point, but I've never been a gambling man myself.


Both maps taken from the MOD's defence statistics website, where there's lots of other statistics about SAR across the UK, Cyprus and the Falklands Search and Rescue Annual 2014.