Gosport Lifeboat Station

Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service
Lifeboat station
Gosport and Fareham lifeboat station.
Symbol
Country England
County Hampshire
District Gosport
Municipality Stokes Bay
Location Stokes Bay, Hampshire
 - coordinates 50°46′43.0″N 1°08′57.6″W / 50.778611°N 1.149333°WCoordinates: 50°46′43.0″N 1°08′57.6″W / 50.778611°N 1.149333°W
Material Fabricated steelwork,
Brickwork and concrete
Founded 1969
Owner The Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service, which is a registered charity

Gosport Lifeboat Station is a volunteer-operated independent lifeboat station located in the village of Alverstoke on the peninsula of Gosport in the English county of Hampshire.[1] Owned and operated by Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service ( GAFIRS), it operates free lifeboat services in the Solent from Portsmouth Harbour to Titchfield Haven, on the approaching shores of Southampton Water.

GAFIRS is on call with HM Coastguard 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. When lifeboat crews are not on station, they are ready for an immediate launch via pager callout. In addition to the frontline lifeboat service, GAFIRS helps the county's other emergency services respond to inland incidents such as flooding, snow rescue and inland water rescues.

2009 marked the charity's 40th anniversary.

Independent status

There are 235 RNLI-owned lifeboat stations around the United Kingdom, and there are 65 lifeboat stations which are not owned or managed by the RNLI, including GAFIRS. Like the RNLI, GAFIRS provides to the Coast Guard lifesaving lifeboats and lifeboat crews 24 hours a day, all year round.

In 2010, GAFIRS and other independent lifeboat stations in the United Kingdom launched an awareness campaign to remove the common public misconception that there is only one charity "Saving Lives at Sea." The campaign, titled "Go Orange for Indie Lifeboat", aims to educate members of the public that donations to the RNLI may not actually be going towards their local lifeboat station if it is one of the independent ones, such as GAFIRS or Ryde Inshore Rescue.

Patron

The patron of Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service is yachtswoman Dee Caffari,[2] who became patron on 17 October 2011, after the death of the previous patron Lady Margaret Fieldhouse.

Rescue craft

Gosport Lifeboat

The public open day at Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue lifeboat station

Previously known as "Gosport Rescue 1", GAFIRS' frontline boat is a fully self-righting 7.4-metre Avon rigid-hulled inflatable boat. It is powered by a 330-hp Iveco diesel turbo engine driving a Castoldi water jet. The craft's speed is over 35 knots, and it can reach any part of its patrol area within 10 minutes of launch. Equipment carried includes sophisticated navigation equipment including radar, chart plotting, GPS (including AIS to allow tracking from the station) and an echo sounder, advanced first aid equipment, search and flood lighting, flares, two fixed VHF radios, DSC Compatible, and one VHF handportable.[3]

Gosport Inshore Lifeboat (Gosport ILB)

Gosport and Fareham Frontline Boat Gosport Lifeboat

The inshore lifeboat at this station is an Avon WB450 rigid infladable boat which is 4.5 metres (15 ft) in length. It has a 60 horsepower outboard engine. The lifeboat also has its own dedicated trailer for movement by road so this lifeboat can if necessary attend inland incidents such as major flooding. The craft's equipment includes GPS which includes AIS to allow tracking from her home station, Flares and para illumination flares, towing lines and equipment, first aid supplies and damage control equipment. The lifeboat has VHF radio and is DSC-compatible.

Gosport Rescue Mobile

Gosport Rescue Mobile is GAFIRS' long-wheelbase landrover, which acts as an incident support vehicle both for inland incidents and shoreside assistant for the organisation's rescue craft. Gosport Rescue Mobile carries first aid, oxygen, paramedic equipment and rescue stretchers. Additionally it carries light rescue tools and scene lighting equipment for protracted incidents. The vehicle is also fitted with emergency blue lights and sirens which can be used by trained and licensed personnel (who are all part of the emergency services as a profession.)

Cadets and Canoe Lifeguard Section

The organisation has a Cadet Section for youths between the ages of 14 and 18. The aim of the section is to teach the youngsters lifesaving skills both in canoes and on the beach, as well as lifeguard skills. The service uses canoes for routine patrols and rescue work along the coastline of the area and additionally in support of the mud rescue teams. The canoes are normally paddled by the cadet section.

The canoes used are the 'Shark' rescue canoe, Selki rescue canoe and Plastic Sea Boats. The Shark was designed originally by the service to withstand the rigours of life as a rescue craft. The service has 14 rescue canoes and two paddle boards.[4]

Incidents

The service attended 1,902 incidents from 1996 to 2011.

Year Incidents
2014 104
2013 86
2012 84
2011 99
2010 113
2009 138
2008 147
2007 93
2006 123
2005 108

See also

References

  1. ↑ OS Explorer Map – 119 - Meon Valley, Porstmouth, Gosport and Fareham, Showing part of the South Downs Way (Folded Map). Published: Ordnance Survey; A2 edition (15 Feb 2010). ISBN 978-03192-412-40
  2. ↑ "Yachtswoman Dee Caffari becomes patron of Gosport and Fareham’s independent lifeboat service". Portsmouth News. 20 October 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  3. ↑ "Gosport Rescue 1 Specifications". Retrieved 11 May 2014.
  4. ↑ "Cadet and Canoe Section". Retrieved 11 May 2014.

External references