Minutes:
The Committee was advised that, in accordance with the decision of 4th September, Mr. Sean McCarry, Regional Commander and Miss. Sharon Gibson, Regional Fundraising Officer, representing the Community Rescue Service, were in attendance to provide an update on the voluntary work of the Community Rescue Service.
Mr. McCarry commenced by explaining that the service carried out search operations between the sea and the mountains in partnership with the police and emergency services. The majority of calls that the teams of volunteers dealt with concerned vulnerable people or emergency situations. He detailed that the organisation was:
· part of the UK Structure Activity Relationship (SAR);
· a member of the Association of Lowland Search and Rescue (ALSAR);
· a regional organisation; and
· made up of 10 operational units, with over 180 operational members and 16 boats.
Mr. McCarry explained that the service had been set up in 2007 when a need for a low-land rescue operations had been identified. Previously, it had been deemed too dangerous for a volunteer-led organisation to carry out searches for missing people and the security services had taken the lead.
He proceeded to outline examples of the many rescue calls that the service received. Explaining that some of the calls were for missing people suffering from dementia, but most concerned people who were in a very distressed or in a venerable state of mind due to mental health problems.
He then provided details in relation to the level of service that the organisation had provided, to date, which included:
· 2015 – 253 high risk missing person searches and emergency responses, with over 55,000 voluntary hours given;
· 2016 – 271 high risk missing person searches and emergency responses, with over 58,300 voluntary hours given;
· 2017 – 289 high risk missing person searches and emergency responses, with over 62,000 voluntary hours given; and
· 2018 – 404 high risk missing person searches and emergency responses, with over 80,000 voluntary hours given.
As well as search operations, the organisation also provided a blood bike service to take vital supplies, including baby milk, around the country and also night-time safety patrols in the form of foot, bike and vehicle patrols around Belfast to assist people who might have been injured or felt vulnerable during a night out. Safety patrols commenced approximately five years ago with interventions on a nightly basis, with often more than fifty individuals per year having been rescued, these included patrols of the Lagan Weir and at concerts.
The representative then provided the Members with details in respect of some of the high profile search operations that the service had been involved in during the past twelve months. He reiterated that the service was an entirely voluntary-led organisation and praised the work of the many volunteers.
Mr McCarry concluded by advising the Committee that the Community Rescue Service had been filmed for three-part BBC documentary called The Search – Finding Northern Ireland’s Missing which was scheduled to be screened tomorrow evening, Tuesday 22nd January at 10.40pm. He stated that this documentary gave a detailed insight into the work of the service and he encouraged the Members and officers to publicise it amongst their colleagues.
A number of the Members praised and thanked the Community Rescue Service for its invaluable work in the community. Mr. McCarry then answered a number of questions from the Members and the representatives retired from the meeting.
The Committee agreed:
(a) that a report be submitted to a future meeting that would investigate if any funding opportunities existed through the Council’s current funding streams;
(b) to investigate the current position regarding the transfer of ownership of the Lagan Lookout from the Department for Infrastructure to Belfast City Council; and
(c) to circulate the presentation and information regarding the BBC documentary to all Elected Members.