100% increase in Coastguard jobs attributed to a number of factors

100% increase in Coastguard jobs attributed to a number of factors

The agency has dealt with 71 incidents so far this year, compared to 33 in the same periods of the last two years.

But Alex Thelland, watch officer for the service, says he is not overly concerned with the increase and has attributed it to a number of factors – including a higher level of engagement between the public and the Coastguard, more Islanders taking to the water because of the warm spring and a different way of working with other emergency services during incidents.

‘We have definitely had an increase in those but it is not a problem. I would rather have people phone us than have us miss something.

‘As of April, we had 27 calls from the public who have seen something and 18 of those required a relevant response which usually means actioning one of our search and rescue assets,’ he said.

‘Whereas up until April 2017, we had 24 calls of which 20 required a response,’ he said.

The agency has improved its way of working with other emergency services and is often becoming involved in incidents earlier than it previously would.

So far this year, the service has dealt with 12 concerns for people’s welfare, compared to six during the same time in 2017 and none up to the end of May in 2016.

‘There are now better communications between all the different agencies,’ he said.

‘It is more the case that Jersey Coastguard will get a call straight away when, for example, a person goes missing and we may not have put some of those types of incidents into our figures before.’

Mr Thelland added that they now had an increased level of engagement with the public – introducing boatowner safety advice sessions and collaborating with the RNLI to deliver sea safety messages.

‘I think people are more aware of their own responsibilities when they are at sea,’ he said.

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