The Team
Team membership is entirely voluntary and the 35 active team
members come from all walks of life, but all are active and accomplished
walkers and mountaineers in their own right.
Our area of operation covers the entire SW of the country - principally
the peninsulas of Beara, Iveragh and Dingle - and boasts fifteen
of Ireland's twenty highest peaks, including Carrauntoohil (the
country's highest, at 1039 metres).
The Team is a registered charity (no. CHY10607). Approximately
50% of the annual budget is met through grants from the Irish
Coast Guard and Kerry County Council and the remaining 50% is
raised through private donations and the Team's own fundraising
efforts.
We train regularly in a complete range of disciplines such as
casualty care, technical ropework (including
horizontal and vertical stretcher lowers, cableways, strop rescues,
hoists etc.), helicopter winching,
search management, navigation, radio communication, 4WD techniques
etc.. Many team members also go on their own mountaineering trips
to places such as the Alps, Southern Alps (New Zealand), Himalayas,
Alaska, Africa, Scotland etc..
All team members are qualified to Advanced Rescue Emergency Care
(REC) First Aid Level, and first Aid training is undertaken on
a regular basis to ensure that the skills of each team member
are continually maintained, and the most up-to-date developments
in emergency medicine are utilised.
