Sir, - I refer to an Out of the West report of January 24th. I specifically take issue with the last paragraph in which there are suggestions attributed to former Air Corps pilots that contractors providing Marine Emergency Helicopters to the Irish Coast Guard "will strive to meet minimum legal training requirements".
This suggestion is untrue and an affront to the highly professional, courageous and dedicated men and women who crew our rescue helicopters at Shannon and Dublin 24 hours a day.
Our captains, who pilot the aircraft, have amassed, on average, in excess of 5,000 flying hours each. Our rescue crews are trained to world-class standards and provide a world-class service on board state-of-the-art aircraft. They train practically every day when not responding to emergencies. They exercise the diverse skills needed for the difficult tasks they carry out. Daily training involves flying manoeuvres and winching from vessels, cliffs, shorelines with difficult and often dangerous terrain as well as medical evacuations from vessels and offshore islands, mountain rescues and inland waterway emergencies.
They also regularly train in underwater escape and our pilots and co-pilots regularly undertake emergency flight training on the very latest emergency flight simulators. This prepares crews for the most dangerous and life-threatening situations which are impossible to simulate on board a real aircraft because of the dangers involved. This means that our crews have trained even for the very rare "nightmare scenario" which they hope will never arise on board their aircraft.
The assertion that search and rescue has a "maximum career of 20 years" is absurd. Experience is a vital element of any search and rescue mission. Many Irish Coast Guard crew members have years of experience flying rescue missions in Ireland and world-wide in countries such as Spain, Switzerland, Australia and the UK as well as the Far East and South America, in both military and civil rescue aircraft. Some crew members have hundreds of missions under their belt, two have passed the 500-mission mark.
The age profile of Irish Coast Guard flight crew is from late 20s to early 50s, some having more than 30 years' military and civilian experience in this most demanding of tasks. To have 70-80 years of accumulated search and rescue wisdom in a four person crew is an asset not to be lightly dismissed. Our crews also keep themselves extremely fit, having to pass rigorous physical and medical tests on a regular basis. This requires a discipline and devotion to their job unparalleled in other occupations.
Last year alone our two helicopters flew 238 emergency missions, saving or assisting 148 people. The Shannon helicopter, which has been in operation since 1991, has flown over 1,000 missions in the challenging and sometimes dangerous Atlantic weather conditions.
Fishermen, seafarers, leisure sailors, hill walkers and coastal communities throughout Ireland know the value of all the people involved in marine emergency response, be they Irish Coast Guard, RNLI, Air Corps or any other marine response organisations. Any suggestion that our crews undergo a minimal amount of training devalues their professionalism and dedication to saving life at sea, on our shores, rivers and lakes and inland when the call comes. This is particularly so when the suggestion comes from those with no experience of Civil search and rescue operations.
People have confidence in Ireland's world class rescue services. Anything that undermines that confidence, particularly if it is untrue, does a grave disservice to the tremendous job these people do. - Yours, etc.,
Capt Liam Kirwan, Director, Irish Coast Guard, Department of the Marine, and Natural Resources, Leeson Lane, Dublin 2.
Lorna Siggins writes: The three former Air Corps pilots interviewed did not question the professionalism and dedication of all those involved in search and rescue off this coastline when making comments about training standards. As reported, their main concern was the suitability of the Dauphin helicopter for the job.