900 m of new rope hanging to dry after it was washed. It will replace older ropes and go into service as part of Doolin Coast Guard units total of 2600 m of rope.

At 14.54 today, Doolin Coast Guard unit was tasked to recover a dog that had fallen down a sea cliff near Cross , south of Kilkee. The dog had not been seen since yesterday and the owners had been searching for her. The crew of a fishing boat spotted the dog this morning trapped on a ledge. It was not possible to reach the dog without climbing equipment. The team, along with members of Kilkee Coast Guard Unit, set up the climbing gear and two climbers went down and recovered the dog using a canine harness. Rosey, a young boxer,  was a little frightened and cold with a minor injury to a leg but was otherwise well and delighted to be reunited with her owners. The fishing boat stayed close by and communicated with the Coast Guard team.

Incident 02/12

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/real-cliffhanger-as-rosie-rescued-3034603.html

Doolin Coast Guard Unit successfully completed their annual Climbing Operational Readiness Assessment and equipment check last night. The team carried out 3 rescue scenarios on the cliff . The assessment began at 14.00 with Cliff scenarios beginning at 17.45.

Members of Doolin Coast Guard Unit and members of Kerry Mountain Rescue visited the Shannon Coast Guard Helicopter base to see the new Sikorsky S92. The helicopter works on many call outs with both teams. Crew members showed the teams around the new  helicopter  and discussed the new features , capabilities and differences.

Four team members attended the unveiling and welcoming of the new Irish Coast Guard Sikorsky S92 Helicopter yesterday. The event took place at the SAR base in Shannon where this, the first of five S92 helicopters will be based. The helicopter is due to go into full service in July with crews in familiarisation training in the interim.

The S92 replaces the S61N which has completed 50 years of service, 21 of those for the Irish Coast Guard. The S92 is expected to serve for a similar period of time.

The Doolin Coast Guard team has launched a new custom GIS system (Geographic Information System) . It has been developed in-house over the past three years and builds on the team’s existing GPS tracking system. It will enable team members to access advanced geospatial information on the move and improve the team’s overall efficiency. Instantly accessible by mobile devices and laptops/desktops, the system allows the lookup of location and informational data, including place names of Clare, local place names, caves, surfing spots, members/vehicle locations etc. It will also aid in incident planning as it contains information such as radio reception blackspots, access routes and helicopter landing sites. It can also route members to an incident.

Two key features are its ability to track team members, vehicles and vessels during an incident and it allows team members to add new information into the system either through mobile devices or on a team GIS website which will ensure constant development and improvement.

The hardware comprises of a backend server, mobile devices such as phones, tablets, dedicated tracking devices and also laptops/desktops.

The team’s new tablets ensure every team member has access to the GIS system, collaborative documents and online team management software.

Thanks to logainm.ie and Fiontar at Dublin City University for the use of their Co Clare place name data and the continued support of the local community.