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Your Commitment

We require you to achieve five key competencies.

  1. Communications – hold a current Amateur Radio licence (minimum Foundation level)
  2. Navigation – Able to pass a practical Navigation Assessment
  3. Off Road Driving Assessment – Able to pass an assessment to demonstrate you understand how to control your vehicle in poor conditions
  4. Exercise Participation – Take part in a practical exercise to demonstrate the competencies above.
  5. First Aid to EFAW

Communication

When we get called out, it is likely to be due to a weather related incident which also affects power, and hence the mobile phone network. By holding an Amateur Radio licence, we can make ourselves independant of the mobile phone network, and in an operational environment it is easier to hear everything else that is going on. We also have access to Repeater technology to extend coverage, and link into other networks.

We have run Amateur Radio Foundation courses at no cost to members, apart from the cost of the Exam. Typically this will be run over a weekend, and will get you a licence that is yours in perpetuity (provided you renew your registration with OFCOM).

A typical call out will involve you being tasked to go to a given location, and then be despatched to further locations to possibly deliver supplies or provide assistance. We need to know that you are capable of finding your own way to that location. We run Map Reading training, and run a practical assessment to ensure you are capable of doing this. This competency needs to be renewed at least every two years.

Off Road Driving Assesment

Whilst many of our Responders are regular off road drivers, we need to ensure that everyone is able to demonstrate they know how to control their vehicle in poor conditions. We run practical assessments to industry standards at an off road driving site, and Responders are required to renew this assessment every two years.

Practical Exercise

Take part in an active exercise to put all your learnt skills together.

First Aid Course

We run our own inhouse First Aid course which is certified to EFAW level.