Meet Your Coastguards: Fleetwood Coastguard Rescue Team

 

Welcome back to Meet Your Coastguard! Today we’re in Lancashire on the Fylde Coast with the Fleetwood Coastguard Rescue team.

With its Victorian heritage, trams and lighthouse, the town of Fleetwood in Lancashire is often a top pick for UK getaways.  

But despite the peaceful and idyllic setting, the town’s Coastguard Rescue Team of 15 officers and five new recruits sees some incredibly challenging and busy summer days, according to Coastguard Rescue Officers Alan Dickins and Steve Tilling.  

Why did you join HM Coastguard? 

Alan joined the Coastguard to give something back to a community that was very welcoming to a newcomer from the south. Steve’s lived in Fleetwood all his life and wanted to get to know his coastline a bit better, whilst helping to keep it safe. 

What do you enjoy most about being a member of the team? 

Alan enjoys the comradery, banter and being able to rely upon the team at any time, and Steve agrees, adding that there’s a fantastic spirit that comes in a team that will go to the end of the earth for each other. 

What is the most unusual incident you have attended? 

The most unusual and probably the most challenging was searching for 53 separate missing child incidents in one day during the Blackpool airshow!   

Which local beach is your favourite and why? 

Alan’s favourite beach is Rossall beach as it’s perfect for walking his two dogs; Saffi, a lurcher, and Rocky, a mongrel. Steve’s favourite beach is Fleetwood’s very own, where he says the views cannot be beaten! 

What new skills have you learned as a Coastguard Rescue Officer? 

Probably the most important skill is the ability to talk to a casualty and be non-judgemental, says Alan. While Steve’s learnt to predict tides, he's improved his first aid skills immensely, and too many more things to mention.  

Alan Dickins, Coastguard Rescue Officer with Fleetwood CRT

What is the most challenging part of your role? 

Alan says the most challenging part of his role is being available as much as he can be, even if he’s sometimes walking miles on beaches in the middle of the night. For Steve, its sometimes a struggle to stay awake at work after many hours spend on the beach looking for a missing person.  

What is the most unusual place you've been when your pager has gone off?  

The most unusual place I have been paged was when I was the casualty!! I’d stupidly managed to get stuck in mud whilst working on my boat, says Alan.  

Funnily enough, Steve also recalls that same incident as his most unusual (and favourite) tasking! He’s had his pager go off in so many different places, from being in the shower to being up a ladder, even during an awards ceremony. 

Our coastline is a wonderful place to enjoy, but it can also be dangerous. Read more about how you can explore it safely.  

When you're not working or volunteering as a Coastguard, what do you enjoy doing? 

Steve enjoys watching football, motorcycling, and walking on the fells with his Border Collies Bruce and Bella, but most of all he enjoys travelling around Europe and beyond with his wife Karen. When he’s not working or volunteering, Alan spends his spare time renovating his house!  

What do you do for a living? 

Steve runs a local engineering company serving the rail industry and Alan is a retired handyman who previously worked as a trainer for HSBC bank and overseas for shipping agents.  

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