A new mobile communications centre paid for by Scottish Executive cash, means Scottish rescue teams will have access to high tech communications even in the most remote locations.
Scotland's mountain rescue teams have gone all high tec with the
arrival of a new all-terrain Mercedes-Benz Unimog U300 kitted out
with £50,000-worth of the latest communications gear funded by
money from the Scottish Executive.
The new Search and Rescue Communications Support Vehicle (SARCOM)
is a first for the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland. Its off
road capabilities mean that it can access remote areas and it carries
a a communications facility for four operators and can provide highly
accurate satellite tracking for searchers.
The Unimog was chosen because it combines 'proven all-terrain
ability' with suffiicent narrowness to access farm gates and tracks
while carrying over £50,000-worth of communications equipment.
It's already been used in anger too, during a search for a missing
person in the Pentland Hills and then in a remote area of the
Highlands where two walkers had gone missing.
Communications were vital in both cases," says Ian Rideout, Radio
Communications Officer for the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland.
"The area of the Highlands where two were missing was very difficult
with lots of very narrow valleys and twisting turns, but the Unimog
was able to get right into the area and provide us with an effective
control centre for communications between all searchers."
"One of the main criteria in our choice of vehicle was the need to
get the SARCOM into forward positions in remote terrain. The very
nature of the role of mountain rescue is that we are often required
to set up communications links a long way from roads and
habitation."
The actual communications equipment installation was down to a
company called Dytecna, which had 12-weeks to adapt the vehicle to
house NTL communications kit. Included within the communications
suite are dual SIM card mobile phones, satellite communications,
highband and lowband radios, TETRA and ground to air
communications.
Dytecna also installed two 12-metre pneumatic masts at the rear of
the container, which allowed for up to 10 separate antennae to be
deployed and, in addition, an anemometer can be installed at the top.
The masts can be lowered to a horizontal plain to allow the operator
to install the antennae at ground level. The mast is then winched
back to its stowed position and raised to its full working height.
One of the most useful features of the vehicle is an advanced GPS
system which enables individuals or teams of searchers to use a
handheld GPS device and communicate with SARCOM, which is then able
to plot progress and direct searchers to the optimum locations.
It's good to see government making a positive investment in
mountain safety north of the border, so how about England and Wales
then? Did someone mention an election...
