Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team would like to remind our local community to please adhere to the Government lockdown restrictions and only exercise locally to your home. Now is not the time to be venturing into the more remote parts of our countryside and potentially putting yourself in harm’s way.

Granted, accidents can happen to anyone, at any time, in any location (even close to home). By definition, an accident is an unfortunate incident that happens unexpectedly and unintentionally, typically resulting in damage or injury.

If an accident happened to you in a remote, inaccessible location, would you know what to do? Before you set out on your next daily exercise, (or adventure when the time is right), please ask yourself:

1. Do I have the knowledge and skills to accomplish the day?
2. Do I have the right gear and spare kit if the weather changes or night falls?
3. Do I know what the weather will be like?
4. Does anyone know your plans for the day?

By planning ahead, preparing well and being aware of your environment, you could prevent an accident or should the worst happen, save your life.

In the event of an emergency and you require the assistance of a Mountain Rescue Team, please do not hesitate in making that call. We would rather initiate an emergency response and be stood down en-route, rather than not being called at all or alerted too late.

Dial 999 or 112 and ask for the Police, then Mountain Rescue.

PLEASE NOTE: Register your phone with www.emergencysms.net – this will enable you to contact the emergency services by SMS if required.

To help your rescuers pinpoint your location, you will need to provide a grid reference by using a map or via *OS Locate App or *What3Words App (*Note: Apps need installing on your smartphone prior to setting out). Once you have requested Mountain Rescue assistance, it is very important to stay where you are until the Mountain Rescue team have made contact.

Above all, please stay safe, exercise sensibly and #adventuresmart

A Few Facts About CVSRT

Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team (CVSRT) is a charity run by unpaid volunteers providing search and rescue support to the statutory emergency services in the northern half of West Yorkshire, including Calderdale, Airedale and part of Wharfedale. CVSRT operates within Mountain Rescue (England & Wales) guidelines, working on behalf of West Yorkshire Police.

During 2020, the team attended 96 callouts providing essential life-saving care to the community. We have four emergency response vehicles, strategically located in Halifax, Copley, Mytholmroyd and Todmorden ready to respond at a moment’s notice. Our team members come from all walks of life and live within the local community. Where appropriate and necessary, local team members will respond directly to an incident. This allows us to have boots on the ground and on-scene within 10-15 minutes providing initial medical assistance, with the full team response in attendance within 28mins of callout (on average in 2020).

Our Resources Include:

• 50+ Operational Full Team Members (including Doctors & Paramedics)
• 9 Flood Rescue Specialists
• 7 MRSDE Search Dog Handlers
• 4 MRSDE Search Dogs
• 4 Trainee Search Dogs
• 4 Specialist Vehicles
• 1 Operational Support Team Member
• 7 Support Team Members
• Many Friends of CVSRT

CVSRT have been saving lives in wild and remote places since 1966.

Our Operational Area

Here’s a few extra tips to help you remain safe whilst out and about:

• Charge your phone before you set off (and think about carrying a portable battery charger).
• Carry a map and compass and know how to use them. Don’t rely on your smartphone apps for navigation! Using GPS and Navigation Apps will drain your phone batteries quickly leaving you without a phone when you really need it most.
• Before leaving home, consider downloading the OS Locate App or the What3Words App to help you pinpoint your location in an emergency – remembering to cross check this location on your paper map before passing to the emergency services.
• Carrying a headtorch, handheld torch and spare batteries are essential, or take a second torch so you don’t have to change batteries in the dark.
• Have a good meal before you start and take plenty of food and water to refuel and keep hydrated during the day.
• Remember if you stop for any reason, you will get cold very quickly. Make sure you have warm, windproof and waterproof clothing (and spares) – hat and gloves are essential. Wear several thin layers rather than one thick layer so you can add or remove them to maintain a comfortable temperature.
• Carry a foil blanket or bivvy bag for emergencies.

At 20:42 on Friday 31st July, CVSRT were alerted to an incident that required our assistance near the stepping-stones in Burley in Wharfedale. The incident involving a 26yo lady with a suspected broken ankle is in the operational area of our neighbouring team, Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association (UWFRA), however they were already dealing with a separate incident so requested our assistance.

Ten members from CVSRT with six local UWFRA members and additional assistance from West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service were deployed. Once on-scene, an evacuation route was agreed and as there were enough MRT personnel to deal with the stretcher carry, it was decided to stand down the WYFRS crew. The casualty was packaged and evacuated on a wheeled stretcher to the ambulance for onward journey to hospital.

On the journey back to base via Keighley, CVSRT members in CM1 discovered an injured male on the ground who had been assaulted. No emergency services were on-scene, therefore team members pulled over to provide assistance to the casualty until the ambulance and police arrived.

Duration 4 hrs 3 mins
In attendance; 10 CVSRT
6 Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association
West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service
Yorkshire Ambulance Service

Just before midnight, CVSRT received a request from Yorkshire Ambulance Service for assistance with the evacuation of a young female who had fallen sustaining a suspected ankle fracture. First team members were on-scene within 19 minutes and within the hour the casualty had been packaged and stretchered a short distance to the ambulance at the road.

Duration 2hrs
Person Hours: 51.9hrs
In Attendance: 26 CVSRT
Yorkshire Ambulance Service

At 20:45, CVSRT received a request from Yorkshire Ambulance Service for assistance with the evacuation of a female who had sustained an ankle injury, following a fall on a footpath. Within the hour, the casualty had been located, packaged and evacuated to the ambulance at the road.

Person Hours: 41.3 hrs
Duration 1hrs 55mins
In Attendance: 23 CVSRT
Yorkshire Ambulance Service

At 17:42, CVSRT received a request from Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Yorkshire Ambulance Service to assist with an incident involving a young female who had fallen on rocks sustaining a suspected back injury. Team vehicles deployed immediately and arrived on-scene within 23minutes, just as Helimed was landing.

Once the casualty had been assessed by a doctor and paramedics, she was immobilised in a vacuum mattress, packaged and stretchered by CVSRT members to the ambulance at a nearby farm.

Duration 2hrs
Person Hours: 39 hrs
In Attendance: 19 CVSRT
1 MRSDE (Meg)
Yorkshire Air Ambulance
Yorkshire Ambulance Service
Community Safety Warden
West Yorkshire Police

At 13:33, CVSRT received a request from Yorkshire Ambulance Service to assist with the evacuation of a 31yr male who had fallen from a rope swing sustaining an open ankle fracture. Due to the location of the incident and anticipating a long stretcher carry, 12 members from CVSRT with additional members from Holme Valley Mountain Rescue Team were deployed.

Once on-scene, team members administered pain relief before packaging and evacuating the casualty from the woodland to a farm track where the ambulance was waiting. Following decontamination of all equipment and personal kit, all members stood down and returned to bases.

As vehicles arrived back at their bases, CVSRT members were alerted to a second incident at Lumb Falls, Pecket Well and immediately deployed to scene.

HVMRT members also received an alert from West Yorkshire Police to an imminent missing persons search in their operational area, therefore returned to their base ready for deployment.

Duration 4hrs 14mins
Person Hours: 80 hrs
In Attendance: 12 CVSRT
1 MRSDE (Meg)
7 HVMRT
Yorkshire Ambulance Service

#Event Cancellation

Calder Valley Search & Rescue Team (CVSRT)

3rd annual Yorkshire Downhill Time Trial 2020

Due to the Government guidelines currently in force and the ongoing situation with the Coronavirus pandemic, we have made the decision to cancel this year’s Yorkshire Downhill Time Trial. This probably won’t come as a surprise to most but is nevertheless disappointing as we know how much participants have enjoyed the first two editions of the event.

Whilst some elements of the event might appear well-suited to the restrictions on fell races that are currently operating, we felt that without the opportunity to socialise between descents and at the end, the event just wouldn’t be the same! In addition, CVSRT have had their busiest year to date this year and based on current form, our resources may be required elsewhere! (In fact, for a time we were the busiest Mountain Rescue team in the country this year!)

We’d like to thank all those who have supported the event and the team recently and hope to welcome you back in 2021!

If you would like to see how you can support CVSRT please visit - https://www.cvsrt.org.uk/support-us

Also, a word of thanks to the folks at Havok Bike Park for their ongoing support and for allowing us to host the event with them for the last 3 years – Please note the MTB tracks are only open to members of Havok, to read more about the facilities they have please visit http://www.havokbikepark.com

If you’re looking for another challenge, why not try this and raise some much needed funds for CVSRT at the same time:- https://craggrunner.com/elementor-738/

#CALLOUT At 11:00 on 18th November Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team (CVSRT) members and Mountain Rescue Search Dogs England (MRSDE) dog handlers were assisting our neighbouring Mountain Rescue team, Holme Valley Mountain Rescue Team (HVMRT) and West Yorkshire Police (WYP) with the ongoing search for missing Dewsbury pensioner Mr Colin Vasey (89).

#1211 Assist HVMRT
18th November
In attendance
18 CVSRT
HVMRT
WYP
3 Search Dogs

#CALLOUT  At 12:07 on 13th November Calder Valley Search and Rescue Team (CVSRT) received a request from Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) to assist with the evacuation of an injured female who suffered a lower leg injury.

CVSRT were first on scene providing initial care and keeping the casualty warm with further medical assistance provided when the team vehicles and equipment were on scene.

The casualty was then transferred to a stretcher and carried to the awaiting ambulance

#1210

13th November

In attendance

14 CVSRT

YAS