OMM - The wider issues

[JohnK]

And the NWEM.

http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/lakes/1.276428

[Chris K]

It seems that once again the BBC have missed the point, that Joe so clearly put across in his piece, that it was the (possibly well intentioned) outside interference that caused the escalation of the situation.
Good job we don't all take the BBC news reporting seriously these days.
The emergency services meeting is a little more worrying, they have all the skills, personnel and communications to deal with major incidents, but seemingly don't know how a MM is run and managed, but still want to advise on it. A bit like having all the DNA of an animal, but not actually having seen the animal it belongs to.

[wheezing donkey]

Well said Chris; very succinctly put.
Ian.

[Graham Breeze]

Joe Faulkner is great. He used to organise the Dockray Helvellyn Race: 21 miles 5500 feet.

There were 10 check points but Joe always had trouble getting marshals and in 2002 he announced on the start line that there might be one marshall,or none and if runners set off they were expected to be able to look after themselves 'cos he wouldn't be coming for you if you got lost.

I think there was one marshall: nearest to the finish.

Brian Martin and I included the race in the first LCT series because we wanted to see the race saved although only 42 did it in 2002 but Joe had had enough and was subsidising the race from his own pocket and pulled the plug after 2002.

So his comments on the BBC programme were absolutely on the button.

[Rudolph Hooker]

The emergency services meeting is a little more worrying, they have all the skills, personnel and communications to deal with major incidents, but seemingly don't know how a MM is run and managed, but still want to advise on it.

Even more worrying, Cumbria Resilience doesn't seem to include Mountain Rescue amongst its many constituent bodies, and the plan they have doesn't refer to MR either - apart from one section which states that there are useful facilities available in the voluntary sector.

Looks more like a box-ticking exercise rather than anything which would be of real practical use in any emergency involving hill terrain.

[BillJ]

Joe Faulkner is great. He used to organise the Dockray Helvellyn Race: 21 miles 5500 feet.

There were 10 check points but Joe always had trouble getting marshals and in 2002 he announced on the start line that there might be one marshall,or none and if runners set off they were expected to be able to look after themselves 'cos he wouldn't be coming for you if you got lost.

I think there was one marshall: nearest to the finish.

Brian Martin and I included the race in the first LCT series because we wanted to see the race saved although only 42 did it in 2002 but Joe had had enough and was subsidising the race from his own pocket and pulled the plug after 2002.

So his comments on the BBC programme were absolutely on the button.

Off subject, but... I loved the Dockray Helvellyn race. One of my favourite ever races. It was such a shame that Joe was left supporting it by himself and it came to an end.

I won a prize for being "Mr Average" in that event in 2002, for being exactly halfway down the 42 runners.

[Pilgrim]

I won a prize for being "Mr Average" in that event in 2002, for being exactly halfway down the 42 runners.

What? You were 21.5th??

[BillJ]

What? You were 21.5th??

Hmm yes. Good point. As I was 22nd (I've just checked the results), I should really have shared my bottle of wine with the guy who was 21st.
Oh well, bit late now. Sorry, Duncan Woods, but it was very nice.

[Rudolph Hooker]

This is a getting a bit off-topic, isn't it? - But, yes I remember the RDHFR as being a superb race. And, yes, I also picked up the halfway-man prize once.

It was then that I realised that I would never be anything but an average runner.

[Toreador]

The emergency services meeting is a little more worrying, they have all the skills, personnel and communications to deal with major incidents, but seemingly don't know how a MM is run and managed, but still want to advise on it. A bit like having all the DNA of an animal, but not actually having seen the animal it belongs to.

That's not the impression I got from their press release. "A risk prioritisation of each event disclosed to us could then be undertaken" - I took this to mean that something like the OMM would be prioritised in advance to the bottom of the list, so resources could be spent on those who actually needed them, instead of those who neither needed nor wanted them.