Reach and Rescue has public rescue equipment in over 25 cities in the UK and is finally heading to the capital, thanks to the London Eye – Merlin Entertainments. They will be installing their Portsafes in the pontoons beneath the London Eye to reduce the risk of death by drowning in the River Thames (sponsored by lastminute.com).
In 2018, 30 people drowned in the River Thames, accounting for 8% of drowning-related deaths nationally. (PLA, 2019)
The tragic event of drowning can cause devastation across communities. Each needless loss of life, however, can be used as a catalyst and inspiration to attempt to stop any further such tragedies from occurring. National guidance from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents states: ‘Public rescue equipment is an additional mitigation that may afford the victim extra time or support to enable rescue.’
Portsafe provides emergency services and members of the public a crucial opportunity to conduct swift and directionally accurate rescues by giving them permanent access to effective rescue equipment that is designed to retrieve casualties in the water from a safe distance. The system, therefore, minimises the danger posed to the rescuer whilst boosting casualty survival chances.
Portsafe is proven to save lives. After only two days in situ, a Portsafe with a telescopic rescue pole was successfully used by a police officer to save a member of the public from drowning in Bedford.
What is Public Rescue Equipment (PRE)?
Public Rescue Equipment is an additional mitigation that may afford the victim extra time or support to enable rescue. This includes a range of devices including throw bags, life rings and rescue poles.
What is the Reach and Rescue approach to rescue equipment?
Reach and Rescue are incredibly proud of their relationship with the fire and rescue community that led to some of the most effective water rescue equipment, ensuring rescuers are safe too.
The Reach and Rescue Pole is a much more effective option than any other method because it reaches the casualty with first-attempt success whilst also keeping the operator safe and out of the hazard zone. This is due to the pole being unaffected by wind or current, which provides consistent accuracy in finding the victim.
Valuable time can be lost retrieving the line through inaccurate throws (using a Throwbag), but you also need the victim to be conscious and mobile to be retrieved. The Reach and Rescue Pole can retrieve mobile or immobile victims, which is a necessity in saving lives.
Public Rescue Equipment – Portsafe
Portsafe is the lifesaving public-access water-rescue system that gives members of the public and emergency services a crucial opportunity to conduct swift and directionally accurate rescues by giving permanent access to effective public rescue equipment (PRE) that is designed to retrieve casualties in the water from a safe distance while boosting the casualty’s survival rate.
For more information, go to www.reachandrescue.com
