Holme Valley Mountain Rescue Team - the Team's equipment

Holme Valley Team - A little about our equipment

Team training with the Bell Tangent stretcher

As you'll appreciate the Holme Valley Team owns and maintains a large amount of specialist equipment - for example, first aid, casualty handling, communications and climbing gear. All Team Members need to be fully aware of where equipment is stored on the vehicles and how each item is used in a rescue situation.

Most of the Team's equipment is specialised and therefore very expensive to buy. Often it is not just regular hill or climbing equipment, but specially made for specific tasks. Other items such as drugs, first aid materials and textiles have limited life spans and need to be replaced on an ongoing cycle.

There are also other items of equipment, from vehicles to stretchers, that require regular servicing and checking, all to be ready for the eventuality of immediate use on a call-out.

The Team carries and maintains medical gasses

The Holme Valley Team's equipment officer is responsible for the purchase and maintenance of over 100 carefully recorded major items on a monthly basis.

A task that would be impossible for one person alone, he is assisted by a dedicated group of volunteers within the Team who once a month check and test every piece of equipment for defects and readiness.

Other people are responsible for specialist areas of equipment such as the radio and communication equipment, vehicles and first aid items. These undergo equally rigorous and regular checking and servicing. The replacement and servicing of equipment accounts for the majority of the Holme Valley Team's annual expenditure and is the main focus for fundraising.

Though some equipment can be visually checked and tested on our equipment nights there are many items that need to be sent to specialists for testing. Funding for capital costs, rather than for running costs, are much easier to access. In recent years the Team has successfully applied for grants to purchase new vehicles. But our greatest thanks must go to voluntary organisations who make donations to the Holme Valley Team.

The ongoing training programme ensure all Team members are aware of where equipment is stored on the vehicles and how to use it. Correct use of the first aid equipment even features in the Casualty Care exam.