Have a yearning for the sea but don't have a boat? Want to gain some skills and qualifications in marine search and rescue? Not interested in getting out on the water but have some 'down time' and don't know what to do with it? We can help...
Coastguard Mana is currently on the hunt for more volunteers in order to bolster the ranks of current active volunteers that we already have. Recent search and rescue operations [1] that have spanned several days have highlighted the fact that even though our current core 'crew' of highly dedicated people are capable of taking time off work and put their all into assisting with a major search, we still need greater numbers to ensure that our capacity to respond to all emergency callouts remains high.
And it's not just on the water where people are required - land based activities still make up a large component of any search and rescue operation. Not only do people have to get to the rescue boats and have the skills to get on the water, they also need to be sure that the equipment, procedures, maintenance, communications, planning, finances, etc are all taken care of so that they can get on with their job of 'Saving Lives at Sea'.
Here is a rough guide of the roles required to run the Coastguard Mana unit:
We're a practical lot, but we can't do everything. While we are always on the lookout for rescue boat crew, it's the time and energy for running the unit that we are most eagerly looking out for.
If you would like help out then please click the following button to register as a volunteer:
Please remember that there is no fixed time commitment required. As long as you are willing and able to attend training sessions and provide some time on a semi-regular basis then tha's all that we require.
Links:
[1] http://www.coastguardmana.org.nz/operations
[2] http://www.coastguardmana.org.nz/signup