Maritime & Coastguard Agency - Tom Barnett
Published 18:23 on 20 Jan 2023
On Friday evening (13th January), we had an excellent talk by Tom Barnett, who is the team Leader of Charlie Watch at the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), which is part of the Maritime & Coastguard Agency. He has a boat called 'Garfield' and often sails in the Solent.
He explained that there are 11 Coastguard Stations around the UK which are manned 24 hours a day. The JRCC can 'become' any of these stations if a critical incident occurs in a certain area to provide additional resources where necessary. The Coastguard has 22 Helicopters at 10 bases, the nearest based at the Solent Airport site (Daedalus).
The Coastguard also provide Flood rescue teams; work with the RNLI and other independent lifeboats. They have responsibility for Maritime Safety, Vessel Traffic Management, Maritime Security, Pollution response and, of course, are part of the UK national Emergency Service providing a single point of contact in the case of any emergency on the water including an aeronautical rescue.
They work closely with other voluntary organisations such as the lifeboat services, but also with the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI). He reminded us that the NCI can be contacted on Channel 65 and can be used for radio checks, local weather and other information.
Tom pointed out that 'Solent Coastguard' cover a large area of the south coast and have access to 54 lifeboats and 33 Coastguard Rescue Teams. He also explained that the JRCC is responsible for the worldwide response to UK registered EPIRBs and PLBs.
As well as the CG helicopters, they have access to fixed wing aircraft. In addition to their maritime role, they are often involved in cliff rescues and hospital transfers. They make use of modern technology including drones, which enable them to see a wider area and can help pinpoint those in trouble with their visual and infrared cameras.
The talk by Tom was much appreciated by both members of Haslar Yacht Club and the Hornet Services Sailing club. HYC are now looking forward to the visit to the JRCC on the 22nd April.
Brian Masters
Related
- Talk: "Maritime and Coastguard Agency" by Tom Barnett (13 January 2023, 18:00 - 23:00)
Last updated 10:20 on 29 April 2025