Searching for Narnia?

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While the rest of the country fights the winter weather Reaseheath Uniformed and Public services students put into practice the Search and Rescue skills they have developed with Matt Daily-Hunt, Lecturer and Search and Rescue Technician.

“Despite heavy snow and dense woodland the students acting as Search Controllers managed to co-ordinate their teams to search each block of forest. It made for realistic search conditions and tested the search teams ability to work in close woodland with heavy snow.” described Matt, “They managed to find the Missing Person, who was found in one of the remoter blocks that the Student Controllers sent their teams to last.”

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DSC_0035 DSC_0089 (PS 2)

Practice Search Sweep of the Peak District

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Reaseheath lecturer Matt Daily-Hunt, who is a Search Technician with Staffordshire Search and Rescue, took the Level 3 Uniformed and Public Services students on practice Search Sweep of a remote moorland area today in preparation for a much bigger rescue exercise next week.

Matt has spent several sessions briefing and training the students in Search Skills as part of the build-up to the exercise.  Mick Keeling, former Warrant Officer and Simon Wells, Mountaineering Instructor assisted.

“This is what we are about at Reaseheath, our students are getting a real preparation for working in the Public and Uniformed services. From remote moorlands to our sailing trips over Easter we offer so much more”

“Next week, the students will be  Search Control for a much bigger incident with ‘causalities’ a communication HQ and all the aspects of a big rescue.” explained Matt.

Public Services Search Sweep

Public Services Search Sweep

Public Services Search Sweep

Public Services Search Sweep

Adventure Sports lecturer volunteers with Rescue Team

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Adventure Sports lecturer and instructor Matthew Daily-Hunt uses his outdoor expertise as a member of Staffordshire Search and Rescue Team.  SSART is a team of dedicated volunteers with specialist training to locate and rescue missing people anywhere in Staffordshire.  They train and work with the police and ambulance service to enhance their search and rescue efforts.

During the recent heavy snowfall Matthew and other SSART volunteers used the team’s 4×4 vehicles to support West Midlands Ambulance Service in the Staffordshire Moorlands where they helped recover stuck ambulances, transported essential medical personnel to hospital and responded to 999 emergencies in remote locations.

Tim Reeves, Head of Adventure Sports, Uniformed and Public Services said, “Matthew’s skill as a mountaineer, mountain bike leader and rock climbing instructor make him valuable to the Rescue Team. With his Rescue training he brings a whole new level into our college team.”

For more information on the team go to www.SSART.org or ask Matthew, who wears his badge with pride!

ssart adventure sports matthew daily-hunt

Survival School Skills and then the World!

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Mick Keeling used his international expedition skills and two decades of army experience to teach Reaseheath Public and Uniformed Services students survival skills.

Survival skills“The students paddled canoes along a flooded river”, explained Mick, who taught Survival Skills in Bavaria for the army. “Then they made emergency shelters using only the equipment they had and learnt how to light fires. They even made some simple food using a stove.”

“Despite the floods and wet weather the students managed to deal with every incident and learnt how it’s not just about surviving but doing it comfortably”.

Mick’s skills are much in demand. While not working at Reaseheath he trains leaders for World Challenge Expeditions who have just asked him to fly out to Peru to train Expeditions Guides. Reaseheath students benefit from Micks skills and qualifications, he leads student trips on rivers and mountains in Scotland, Wales and Cumbria, this year he is leading a student expedition to North Africa.

“We’ll be climbing the highest peak in North Africa and traveling through desert regions, even though we’ll only be a few hours flight from Europe it’s a different world, high mountain huts, ancient markets and the ruins of lost cities”.

Greg Houghton, Public and Uniformed Services Course Manager added, “Experienced NCO’s and Expedition Leaders like Mick are brilliant on courses like ours. Those decades of experience,  rank and qualification  make a real difference to our students giving them the real skills you need to work in a public or uniformed service. No other college can offer students experience like this!”

survival skills

survival skills

Self Defence, Rope Rescue Skills and abseiling into buildings?

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These are all part of the practical skills Uniformed and Public Services students have been learning in January.

Former Warrant Officer, Shropshire Light Infantry, Mick Keeling took a group of students to the Lee Mathews British Military Martial Arts Academy.

“They learnt how to deal with a bigger attacker and suppress an assault” described Mick Keeling, who after teaching Survival Skills and Adventure Training in Bavaria for the Army works for Reaseheath and leads international expeditions.

The next week the students looked at Improvised Rope Rescues and abseiling. Greg Houghton, Uniformed and Public Services course manager described it, “They might find themselves having to use ropes to rescue people who have got onto steep, dangerous ground or to abseil into a building to resolve an incident. At Reaseheath we have the specialised staff to teach survival or ropes skills. In their second year they’ll get extra training for Dog Handling and Horses. That is what is so great about Reaseheath, we have such specialised staff and resources to make our courses exciting and increase student’s employability.”

Public Services lesson

Public Services lesson

Public Services lesson

    Public Services lesson         Public Services lesson