Although the RNLI's main purpose is saving lives at sea, it also has the people and equipment available to make a difference in flash floods. As reported in the spring 2005 issue of the Lifeboat, members of the Workington lifeboat crew took an inshore lifeboat to Carlisle, Cumbria, in January 2005 where they rescued dozens of people from the high waters. A month later, the Rapid Response Unit (RRU) flew to Georgetown in Guyana to help with the relief effort after flooding left thousands of people homeless.

Saving lives in such conditions requires different skills and knowledge from those needed at sea. In the same way that all crew members receive in-depth training for saving lives at sea, RRU members and crews who live in flood-prone areas undergo specialised training. Swiftwater rescue training (SRT) prepares them for the dangerously complex behaviour of floodwaters and rivers.

The SRT course, which was devised in the US, trains people to three recognised standards: swiftwater rescue technician, advanced swiftwater rescue technician, and instructor. Hugh Fogarty, Staff Officer Operations (Fleet), says:'SRT is so important because there is alarge difference between operating at sea and in swift water conditions - the water behaves differently. When water is in a channel and flowingin one direction you get all sorts of forces building up that tend to stay in one place, unlike that of the sea. It is important that the crew respect and understand the differences.' The level one course, which takes a solid week to complete, begins with hydrology theory and then introduces equipment and emergency procedures. Students then have a chance to experience swiftwater conditions in a river. Here, training includes swimming techniques, shallow water crossing, rescue drills, and Whitewater canoeing.

Terry Webb, a volunteer crew member at Southend-on-Sea, Essex is a member of the RRU. Like most members of the unit, he took his SRT training with Rescue 3 (UK), an offshoot of the American organisation that provides instruction in north Wales. Terry says: The training was essential. The situation in Guyana was that the flood's dynamic phase had ended and the waters were receding. We needed all our swiftwater expertise to cope with this and to know where the dangers lay. For instance, in a high street, floods can lift off the manhole covers and there is a real chance people can be sucked down the manholes.' Terry adds that his training helped him realise how entering fast flowing water should be a last resort when trying to rescue someone.

'A shore-based rescue is the first thing you try,' he points out.

The advanced course takes a further four days to complete and is more intensive and physical, with students training at night and using complex rope rescue systems. The syllabus also includes searching flooded watercourses and rivers, advanced boat handling, and incident management. Once crew members become SRT qualified, they take annual refresher courses to keep their skills and knowledge up to date.

Volunteers from Kessock, Buckie, Aberdeen, Broughty Ferry, Helensburgh, Dunbar.Troon and Peterhead lifeboat stations have recently taken such a refresher course. John Davies, Deputy Divisional Inspector for the RNLI in Scotland, says: 'All of the lifeboat crew who took the refresher are volunteers who gave up more of their time to learn new skills and help save lives inland as well as at sea.' The crews trained at Inverness and their SRT skills could come in useful in a variety of situations. Michael Cowlam, a member of the Aberdeen crew, explains: 'People generally associate the RNLI and lifeboats with the sea but stations like Aberdeen also attend rescues up river. This training will be beneficial for river rescues during flooding or when parts of the river become too shallow for our lifeboats.' Aberdeen are not the only crew to attend rescues inland - lifeboat stations have also been established at Enniskillen in County Fermanagh, Lough Derg in County Tipperary, the South Broads in Norfolk, plus Chiswick, Cravesend, Teddington and Tower Pier on the River Thames.

SRT also benefits the day-to-day operations of crews on the coast.

Volunteers have reported that many of the skills learnt are transferable and complement the crew training they have already received.

(For more on crew training, see page 4.).