Our Rescue Team page details the specifics of the type of incidents we are called to and the type of regular training we do to develop and maintain competency.
As a Rescue Team member you:
Training is held every Wednesday night, and supplemented by additional sessions on other nights of the week and weekends (there are generally 12–15 of these a year).
While it is not mandatory to attend every session, there is an expectation that you will attend regularly. You can have a full-time job and be a member of the Brigade, and you must ask your employer if you can respond to emergencies during your working hours.
Applicants must be aged 18 or over, have a full driving licence, access to a vehicle, and be based within the North Tyneside area.
Although we do not have a fitness test, you need to be reasonably fit and generally in good health.
Our recruitment process is usually run on an annual basis and starts with an interview in late autumn/early winter where you will meet Brigade members, find out more about the role and complete a number of short practical tests. If successful at interview, we will then invite you to attend several Wednesday night training sessions during January where you will observe training in key areas such as Rope and Water. Following this you will formally start your training and be known as a ‘Provisional Member’. Over the next 6–12 months you will complete our training programme, which includes training and assessment in nationally recognised qualifications. At an early stage in the training, you will be qualified as an ‘operator’ in Water Rescue. Once you have completed this element of the training you will then be able to start attending incidents, as this is also a very important way of gaining knowledge and experience.
Throughout the training process you will be given all the equipment and protective clothing that you need.
On completion of your training, you will be proposed, (and almost certainly accepted!), as a Rescue Team member by our Committee of Directors. This will mark the formal end of your initial joining period with the Brigade.
Rescue Team members also carry out coastal safety patrols where up to four members will be in the Brigade vehicle, providing a quick response to any calls and engaging with the community and other local safety groups when out and about. These patrols are optional but are an important element of the teams work.
As an independent charity our Rescue Team also take an active role in fundraising and community work, particularly focused on drowning prevention and sea safety. Rescue Team members are expected to help out with community events and fundraising, as well as assisting with work parties and projects involving the Brigade’s Watch House and other buildings.
If you would like to join the team, please email: enquiries@tvlb.org. In your e-mail please confirm that you are aged over 18, that you have a full driving licence and access to a vehicle, and state where within the borough you live.
