CAVRA Service Materials

1. About Us (Draft 2)

2. Events

Visit of John Smith MP to the CAVRA Station, Atlantic College, on 16 Jan 04. John Smith had been very supportive of the application for funding from the Nationwide Foundation.

3. Radio Procedure

(This section is in need of updating, to our present role in CAVRA: many of the examples go back to when the College was a CG Station.)

Callsigns :

Every station which goes on the air to transmit must have a callsign. By means of these callsigns it must be possible to identify the sender and the intended receiver of every transmission. The following callsigns are the standard ones at our station; (they are followed by suggested logging abbreviations):

Swansea Coastguard	SW CG	the 'headquarters' for our area
Llantwit Major Coastguard	LLM CG	our station
Llantwit Major Lima	LLM L	the Auxiliary i/c (Dave Cope)
Llantwit Major Mobile	LLM Mob	the call-out vehicle
Llantwit Major Transit	LLM Tran	a College van that may be tasked
Atlantic College ILB	AC ILB	our B-boat
Rescue One Six Nine	169	SAR helicopter from Chivenor

Other callsigns, for instance for the teams in a search, are assigned by the person in charge, before they are used on the air. As far as possible they should consist of the name of the station and a letter as spoken in the phonetic alphabet (see below;) except that Delta, by convention throughout the country, is always used as the callsign of the District Controller of each area, and Lima is that of the Auxiliary in Charge, (Dave Cope in our case.) Suitable callsigns might be

Llantwit Major Echo	LLM E	group searching from east
Llantwit Major Whiskey	LLM W	group searching from west
Cliff Top		number-one in a drill
Cliff Face		rescuer in a drill

If one has been called by another station but is unsure of its callsign, one may wait until called again, or say something like:

Station calling LL M A. This is LL M A. Over.

The station calling should then call again and identify themselves clearly.

The Phonetic Alphabet, Using Figures :

The phonetic alphabet is used to spell difficult words, names, etc. in the text of a message, esp. when communication is difficult:
	A	Alfa	J	Juliett	S	Sierra
	B	Bravo	K	Kilo	T	Tango
	C	Charlie	L	Lima	U	Uniform
	D	Delta	M	Mike	V	Victor
	E	Echo	N	November	W	Whiskey
	F	Foxtrot	O	Oscar	X	X-ray
	G	Golf	P	Papa	Y	Yankee
	H	Hotel	Q	Quebec	Z	Zulu
	I	India	R	Romeo
Between words New Word is said.
Punctuation marks, which should only be used when their omission might cause confusion, are read as follows:
	,	Comma	/	Slant	(	Open Brackets
	.	Stop	-	Hyphen	)	Close Brackets
	''	Quote
For the sake of clarity, figures are spoken as follows:
	0	Zero	4	Fower	7	Seven
	1	Wun	5	Five	8	Ate
	2	Too	6	Six	9	Niner
	3	Thu-ree

Numbers are always transmitted digit by digit, e.g. ''15'' is spoken as One Five, not as ''Fifteeen''.
        Bearings are always given in three digits, e.g. due East is Bearing Zero Niner Zero Degrees. True bearings (-- i.e. in our area: the magnetic bearing minus 4 degrees --) are always used unless otherwise stated. Decimal points are spoken as Decimal, except that the word Point is used, when positions or other navigational data are transmitted.
        Callsigns, grid-references, (which may need to include the sheet number of the 1:50000 Ordnance Survey, when working with a helicopter,) and times transmitted in a text should be preceded by Callsign, Grid or Time; other uses of figures should be preceded by the word Figures to avoid confusion; e.g.

This is LL M A. Our present position is: Sheet One Seven Zero, Grid Niner Three Five Six Seven Niner. Over.

Radio Channels :

Channel:	Use:
0	Ordinary day-to-day CG frequency for communication between CG stations, mobiles and so on. Not to be used between fixed stations except in emergencies and for radio checks.
6	First choice inter-ship frequency. CG may intervene in SAR (''Search and Rescue'') incidents stating that a message will be coming on channel 16.
10	CG oil pollution frequency.
16	Distress, safety and calling frequency, ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore.
(37)	Frequency used by ILBs on training. Not on our radios.
67	First alternative to channel 0. SAR frequency between CG, aircraft and ships. Used by yachts and CG on safety. Not to be used between fixed stations.
73	Second alternative to channel 0. MOD (''Ministry of Defence'') -frequency. SAR frequency between CG, aircraft and ships. Not to be used between fixed stations.
00	Monitored by the CG.
land-line	Telephone, often preferable between fixed stations. At Southerndown and Ogmore, the 999-phones can be used to communicate with Swansea CG if necessary.

Call-outs generally start on Channel 0, but if it is very busy we may be asked to switch to another channel, either 67 or 73. Channel 73 can sometimes be used on exercises, by arrangement with Swansea Caostguard.

Pro-Words :

For the sake of brevity and accuracy, especially when communication is difficult, there are certain standard words, phrases and abbreviations which should be used as far as possible. (It is also helpful to speak slowly and without excitement.) The most important of these pro-words are listed here, together with their logging abbreviations and their meanings (-- in the illustrations, single letters represent callsigns):

This Is ...	DE	This transmision is from the station whose callsign immediately follows.
Callsign	C/S	The group that follows is a callsign.
Over.	K	This is the end of my transmission and a reply is necessary.
Roger.	R	I have received your last transmission satisfactorily.
Out.	AR or +	End of transmission; no reply required.
P, This is S. Over. -- S, This is P. Over. -- This is S. On exercise at Nash Point. Approximate duration: two hours. We shall be listening on channel Zero. Over. -- This is P. Roger. Out. Notes: The sender must identify himself at the beginning of every transmission, but when no confusion is possible, the callsign of the addressee may be omitted. Every transmission must terminate in Over or Out, but never both, of course. "Roger that," although often used by the operators at Swansea, is not proper radio procedure.
Radiocheck.		How do you hear me, i.e. how are my signal strength and readablity?
T, This is E. Radiocheck. Over. -- E, This is T. Read you Loud and Clear. Over. -- This is E. You are Loud but Distorted. Out. Notes: The pro-words used to report signal strength are: Loud, Good, Weak, Very Weak and Fading. The pro-words used to report readability are: Clear, Readable, Unreadable, Distorted, With Interference and Intermittent. When just a radiocheck is required, it is not necessary for the two stations to establish contact first.
Nothing Heard.	NH	I have not received any reply to my transmission.
F, This is S. Over. -- F, This is S. Over. -- F, This is S. Nothing Heard. Out. Note: Only after the communication has thus been concluded can another station use that channel, perhaps in this case to relay a message from S to F.
Wait.	AS	I must pause for a few seconds.
Wait. Out.	AS+	I must pause, for longer than just a few seconds.
... -- W, This is J. Request the Grid Reference of your position. Over. -- J, This is W. Wait. -- This is W. Our position is Grid Nine One Seven Six Eight Two. Over. -- ...
Relay To ...	RYT	Transmit this message to the station whose callsign immediately follows.
From ...	FM	I pass this message from the station whose callsign immediately follows, or from the originator specified.
Wilco.	WILCO	I have received your message and will comply with your instructions.
Copied.	CPD	Your message, or a specified previous one, has been received.
J, This is D. Over. -- D, This is J. Over. -- This is D. Relay To O: Request his present position. Over. -- This is J. Wilco. Out. O, This is J. Over. -- J, This is O. Over. -- This is J. From D: Request your present position. Over. -- This is O. Relay To D: Our present position is Nash Point. Over. -- This is J. Roger. Out. D, This is J. Over. -- This is D. Copied that last transmission from O. Over. -- This is J. Roger. Out. Note: It is "Relay to ...," but just: "From ...," and not: "Relay from ..."
Read Back	RB	Repeat this entire transmission, or the portion indicated, back to me exactly as received.
I Read Back	IRB	The following is my response to your instruction to read back.
Say Again	SA	Repeat the last transmission, or the portion indicated.
I Say Again	ISA	I am repeating the transmission, or the portion indicated.
... -- S, This is N. We have reached the casualty for exercise. Our position is Nash Point. Over. -- N, This is S. Say Again your position. Over. -- This is N. I Say Again: our position is Nash Point. Over. -- ... Note: On an exercise one should always speak of a ''casualty for exercise'', so that any station listening does not think it is a casualty for real.
Spell	SP	Spell phonetically the word, name or phrase indicated.
I Spell	ISP	I shall spell phonetically the word, name or phrase indicated.
... -- G, This is S. Our position is Nash Point. Over. -- S, This is G. Spell your position. Over. -- This is S. I Spell Nash Point: November Alpha Sierra Hotel New Word Papa Oscar India November Tango. Nash Point. Over. -- This is G. Roger. Out. Notes: If the operator can pronounce the word(s) to be spelt, he will do so before and after the spelling to identify the word(s). The operator may choose to spell a difficult word without having been requested to do so. It is bad procedure to finish with something like "I spelt Nash Point," as some people have started to do.
Verify	VY	Verify the entire message, or the portion indicated, with the originator, and send correct version. (Presumably in response to From, when relaying.)
I Verify	IVY	That which follows has been verified at your request and is repeated.
All After	AA	All after.
All Before	AB	All before.
Correct. or Affirmative.	C	You are correct. Yes.
Correction.	CCN	An error has been made in this transmission. Transmission will continue with the last word correctly transmitted.
Disregard This Transmission. Out.	DISR+	This transmission has been made in error, cancel and disregard it.
E.T.A.	ETA	Estimated time of arrival.
Negative.	NO	No.
Restrict.		I have company, e.g. a relative of the casualty, and therefore cannot speak and/or receive freely.
Sit Rep.		Situation Report.
Speak Slower.	SSL	Your transmission is at too fast a speed.
Word After	WA	Word after.
Word Before	WB	Word before.
Words Twice.	WDT	Communication is difficult. Transmit (or transmitting) each phrase twice.
Wrong.	WG	Your last transmission was incorrect. The correct version is ... . (Presumably in response to I Read Back.)
Certain pro-words are reserved for use in the most serious emergencies:
Mayday.		Help. This is an emergency. (From a ship, on channel 16. Any station receiving this signal should carefully note any information that may follow, and pass it to the local SAR centre, and also keep listening and be ready to help with communication. Apparently from French: m'aidez. = help me.)
Silence. or Silence Distress.		Request that all other communication on the channel stops, to allow for emergency working. (Silence should be pronounced in French.)

Radio Logging :

All radio traffic on the channels that we might use on a call-out is monitored and recorded on tape at Swansea Coastguard. However, for various reasons we try to keep accurate radio-logs ourselves: to be able to check details immediately after˙a transmission, to record transmissions that may not be received by Swansea Coastguard, and to have a record of the basis on which decisions were taken. Moreover, after a call-out the staff-member in charge has to write it up in the log-book in the station, and for the details of times etc. makes use of the radio-log. Note that only transmissions relevant to our casualty need to be written down.
        It is therefore standard procedure on any call-out that one or two students remain at LL.M. Coastguard to keep a radio-log, (as well as to take care of communication within the College, using the internal and external telephones: e.g. if a call-out runs over a meal, to call the Caterer and check that a number of meals are being kept.) The radio-operator in the call-out vehicle should also attempt to keep a log of all transmissions made and received.
        Another important task of the students who stay behind on the radio is to make sure that there is an accurate list of every person who has gone out on the call-out, and to make sure that everyone signs themselves back in on that list when they have returned.

Below is an example of a radio-log. Note that when logging on the appropriate forms, there is no need to record the initial exchange to establish contact, such as

SW CG, This is LLM Mob. Over. --
LLM Mob, This is SW CG. Over. -- ...
(-- provided that contact is established.)
        Also note that the way of recording the stations identifying themselves at the beginning of each transmission is simply to enter their callsigns in the appropriate columns before the actual message.

Time	To	From	Message
17.15	SW CG	LLM Mob	Leaving Station. Proceeding to Ogmore. K
	LLM Mob	SW CG	R. What is your ETA? K
	SW CG	LLM Mob	Our ETA at Ogmore Beach is 14 minutes. K
	LLM Mob	SW CG	SA your ETA at Ogmore. K
	SW CG	LLM Mob	ISA our ETA is 14 minutes. K
	LLM Mob	SW CG	R +
17.30	SW CG	LLM Mob	Have arrived at Ogmore SLSA and met with Police. Search party LLM B commencing search towards Southerndown. K
	LLM Mob	SW CG	R. Do the police have more details of the casualty? K
	SW CG	LLM Mob	NO. K
	LLM Mob	SW CG	R +
17.55	LLM B	LLM Mob	Request SIT REP. K
	LLM Mob	LLM B	Present position 1 km east of Ogmore Beach. Search so far is negative. K
	LLM B	LLM Mob	R +
18.10	LLM Mob	SW CG	FM Police Headquarters. The casualty has returned home on their own. Recall search party and return to Station. K
	SW CG	LLM Mob	R +
	LLM Mob	LLM B	CPD last transmission. ETA at Ogmore SLSA 15 minutes. K
	LLM B	LLM Mob	R +
19.10	SW CG	LLM Mob	Departing Ogmore with LLM B and returning to Station. K
	LLM Mob	SW CG	R. Call landline with details when you are back. K
	SW CG	LLM Mob	R +

4. Cliff Rescue Drill

(This is a summary of a basic drill for lowering or hauling a casualty on a cliff or steep incline. The drill is 'light-weight' and flexible, and should be considered a basic pattern, to be adapted to particular circumstances.)

The principle is that a Rescuer abseils to take a rescue strop on a rope to the casualty, who can then either be lowered to the bottom or hauled to the top.

1.	One person will usually have been designated as the Number 1, before arrival on scene. Their responsibilities are to coordinate the set-up, to check anyone that goes near or over the edge, to operate near the edge (so they must be properly secured themselves,) to communicate between cliff-face and cliff-top; whistle signals should be used as much as possible, with a shout of "Slack" only for clarification: one blow (= "Stop") for the casualty rope to be held tight, pulling to stop, two blows (= "Up") to request the casualty rope to be pulled up, three blows (= "Down") to request the casualty rope to be released.
2.	The first jobs that need to be assigned are to attach the Rescuer's rope to two anchors, such as two stakes hammered into the ground, to go down as Rescuer: that person needs to get themselves ready with descendeur and jumars,
	to set up the casualty end of the casualty rope and get the equipment the Rescuer needs to take: one sling with two krabs, one long tri-colored sling, the Kimstrop attached with an alpine butterfly to the casualty rope, with a clogger and a krab further down, and a single figure-of-8 at the end of the rope, (if there is no First-Aider:) a first-aid kit and a helmet for the casualty,
	to attach the Number 1's own rope to two anchors: the Number 1 can then attach themselves to that rope (with the minimum of extra-rope!) to be able to operate near the edge, after having been checked by someone else,
	to secure the casualty rope to two anchors: through a descendeur in the back (the 'brakes') and the 'dogs' further forward: the little strings should hold the 'tails' together, not go around the casualty rope, each typically attached with a krab in a doubled tape-sling; if on a stake, the sling should have a clove-hitch, to prevent it slipping off. The point where the casualty rope will go over the edge and the two anchors, for the dogs and the brakes, should all be one line.
	Another rope can be set up, on two separate anchors, for a First-Aider to go down, with a tape sling with two krabs, and a first-aid kit and a helmet for the casualty.
3.	The Rescuer having put on his own equipment, and himself on his rope ready for descending, he then also puts on the equipment, in the opposite order to that in which it will be needed. The Kimstrop should be around his body, and the clogger attached to his belt, both with the krabs open. After having been checked by Number 1, and whistled "Down", he can then descend. From this time on, two people need to operate the dogs, holding them open by pushing back the tails, and the brakes.
	If the casualty is to be hauled to the top: either before or shortly after the Rescuer starts his descend, the quadpod needs to be placed over the casualty rope, its legs extended and connected by the chain underneath the casualty rope; the casualty rope runs over a pulley on two krabs attached to the rim at the top of the quadpod, (the ring in the middle should only be used for a vertical haul;) the quadpod must also be attached by a lose rope to any anchor further back, to avoid any possibility of it falling over the edge. Note that Number 1 should be the only person working near the edge of the cliff!
4.	Upon reaching the casualty, the Rescuer
5.	If the casualty can be lowered:
	If the casualty has to be hauled to the top:

5. Communication Equipment

Radios

A talk-through station is installed on one of the towers of St Donats Castle, and we operate the following six units (- the funding for the equipment was provided by the Nationwide Foundation):

two base units, with display and keypad	in the Station	"CAVRA Atlantic"	mains power supply
	in a College mini-bus	"CAVRA Mobile"	vehicle electrics: may have to leave the engine running during operations, must be switched off when leaving vehicle
one Icom F3GS	handheld, with display and keypad	"CAVRA Zulu"	all the portable units should be charged overnight
three Icom F12	handheld	call-signs will be assigned, but must begin with the word "CAVRA"

The channels programmed into the radios have been assigned particular uses:

1 [leckwith]	Leckwith Wide Area System: calling channel	covers Cardiff, Barry, Penarth etc and will work along the M4 to J37 (Pyle) along to J18(Bath) and North to Merthyr Tydfil.
2 [atlantic]	Atlantic College Wide Area System: calling channel	for use around the Vale of Glamorgan, West of the airport.
3, 4 [bb1, bb2]	back-to-back channels: alternatives to channels 1 and 2	local: can be used anywhere in the UK, but might be used by other parties.
5, 6, 7, 8, 9 [bb3, ...]	back-to-back channels: 'private use'

(Note: the units with a display do not show the channel numbers but the text shown in brackets below the channel numbers.)

Pager Operation

From Ivor: "As far as call-outs are concerned, the way we envisage the system working is that the Police (or other emergency service) will page us on Group 1, of which you are already members, The duty officer, who is normally Ian or myself will respond, but this could be any of the following: Ivor, Ian, Russ, Richard, Kai or Dave. Having contacted the emergency service initiating the call, the duty officer will then page the rest of the team on Group 2 giving details of where to go, together with any other relevant info. -- Hope that clarifies the situation."

The two CAVRA pagers we have are on the mmO2 network and should now respond everywhere on the Campus.

The pagers have four buttons: Left, Rght, RDot, Dash, and a screen to display information.

switching On	press Dash: the pager will sound, the present time and date will be displayed.
cancel an alert	press Dash (the pager will keep sounding until the alert is cancelled).
switch on backlight	press RDot for 2 seconds, (it will go off automatically).
open menu	press RDot: symbols for different options are displayed in the bottom line, the active option is described in the top line, move between options by using the Left and Rght buttons. Options: Auto On/Off, Set Alert, Set Time, Set Alarm, Silent Mode (Audible Mode), Turn Off, Lock, Delete (a message), Delete All.
select a menu option	press RDot again; for some options, you are asked to confirm your choice: to confirm, press RDot again.
close the menu, cancel an option	press Dash.
stored messages	press Dash: the stored messages are represented by small arrows at the top, the latest on the right, unread messages flashing; move between messages by using Left and Rght.
read a message	to select a message:  press Dash; to read the next line:  keep pressing Dash, (each message ends with the time and date it was received.)

Sample messages:

• 01:29:Exercise Incident At Atlantic College Both Teams Required Contact CAVRA Control 07973 627 137 - Source 8 14:15 11/01/04
• 02:24:Exercise Both Proceed To Atlantic College Rv At CAVRA Base - Source 12 14:18 11/01/04
• 03:30:Exercise S Y Surry 19 00 - Source 8 18:40 14/01/04
• 04:25:Exercise CAVRA Test Page - Source 12 18:42 14/01/04
• 05:31:Exercise Assistance Required In Search For Missing Person Rhoose Point Please Contact CAVRA Control 07973 627 137 - Source 8 14:19 25/01/04
• 06:26: Fcrcise Both Search For - Source 12 14:23 25/01/04