It was a dark and stormy night in 1991 when a magician took over the bridge of the Oceanos, an ageing passenger liner travelling up the Wild Coast.

The captain was nowhere to be found. The ship started taking in water in the auxiliary engine room just a few hours after it had set sail from East London. Panicking, the crew scrambled into the lifeboats, leaving passengers largely to fend for themselves. The ship’s entertainment staff bravely started to calm passengers and coordinated the abandon-ship operation and rescue effort.

The story of this dramatic rescue, which made headlines across the world, is told from the perspective of all the key role players and describes their extraordinary heroism.

The ocean is one of the few untamed places on earth, unpredictable and unsympathetic to the lives lost there. For this reason people remain fascinated by its tides, currents, and mysteries. Life and Death at Cape Disappointment is the author's first-hand account of life as a surfman at one of the Coast Guard's most dangerous stations, Cape Disappointment is one of the most notorious Coast Guard units on the Pacific Coast, its area of responsibility referred to as the "Graveyard of the Pacific." The book focuses on five of the most significant search and rescue cases during the author's tour and how such work affected him and his colleagues mentally and physically. It's armchair entertainment for those enthralled by the ocean. During the author's tenure at Station Cape Disappointment, he amassed over 2,200 hours of underway time, routinely operating on the hazardous Columbia River bar, where he earned a reputation as one of the most skilled boat handlers in the Coast Guard. He has worked on and supervised over 430 search and rescue cases. One of his rescues earned him the Association for Rescue at Sea's gold lifesaving medal.

View the Table of Contents.
Read the Introduction.

Winner of the 2006 Outstanding Recent Contribution Award from the American Sociological Association, Sociology of Emotions Section

"Lois takes readers inside the social world of search and rescue volunteers, offering sociological insight into topics such as gender, emotions, and indentity."
-- "American Journal of Sociology"

""Heroic Efforts" began as a dissertation, but ends as one of the best book on emotions I have read in years. If you want a glimpse into the power of really good ethnography and the reason we need both qualitative and quantitative research, this book will provide you with both enertainment and sagacity."
--"Contemporary Sociology"

"[Lois] examines how rescuers construct meaning in their lives and define themselves through their risky, demanding work."
--"Seattle Times"

Many search and rescue workers voluntarily interrupt their lives when they are called upon to help strangers. They awake in the middle of the night to cover miles of terrain in search of lost hikers or leave work to search potential avalanche zones for missing skiers, snowboarders, and snowmobilers in blizzard conditions. They often put their own lives in danger to rescue stranded, hypothermic kayakers and rafters from rivers.

Drawing on six years of participant observation and in-depth interviews, Jennifer Lois examines the emotional subculture of "Peak," a volunteer mountain-environment search and rescue team. Rescuers were not only confronted by physical dangers, but also by emotional challenges, including both keeping their own emotions in check during crisis situations, and managing the emotions of others, suchas those they were rescuing. Lois examines how rescuers constructed meaning in their lives and defined themselves through their heroic work.

Heroic Efforts serves as an easy to understand sociological introduction to the ways emotions develop and connect us to our surroundings, as well as to the links between the concept of heroism and other sociological theories such as those on gender stereotypes and edgework.

This volume provides fresh insights and management understanding of the changing role of the ambulance services against the backdrop of massive cuts in health budgets around the world and the changing context of pre-hospital care within the wider healthcare networks. The challenges of funding, training and cultural transformation are now felt globally. The need to learn and adapt from suitable models of ambulance service delivery have never been greater. The book offers critical insights into the theory and practice of strategic and operational management of ambulance services and the leadership needs for the service. One of the highlight of this volume is to bring together scholarship using experts- academics, practitioners and professionals in the field, to each of the chosen topics. The chapters are based in the practical experiences of the authors and are written in a way that is accessible and suitable for a range of audiences. We are confident that this book will cater to a wider audience to inform policy and practice, both in the UK and internationally. Paresh Wankhade is Professor of Leadership and Management at Edge Hill University, UK Kevin Mackway-Jones is the Medical Director at North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust, UK Endorsements "This unique and valuable publication, charts the history and development of the ambulance service in England over the last hundred years or so. The role of this key emergency service has always been important, and arguably never more so than today. The contributing authors have not only provided the reader with great insights into where the service has come from and the leadership challenges it has, and continues to face; it also gives examples of how the future could look as our journey of transformation continues." Peter Bradley CBE, MBA (and author of Taking Healthcare to the Patient 2005), Chief Executive Officer. St John National Headquarters, New Zealand "With a year on year increase in demand for emergency ambulances and over 9 million calls annually, the UK Ambulance Service must change from its emergency care and transport focus model. With the increase in professionalism of paramedics and an uplift in assessment and clinical skills the modern paramedic is increasingly able to treat at home, direct patients with alternative care pathways and avoid transportation to overburdened Emergency Departments. Whilst there is some historical and cultural resistance to change there is a need for further development in clinical skills and a new perspective for the future Ambulance Service. This book brings together practitioners, managers, academics and provides a broad understanding of the major management issues in the UK Ambulance Service. It includes the history of the Ambulance Service, quality and risk management issues, commissioning, leadership, intra-operability and shape of the future ambulance service. The content will be of interest to students, practitioners and academics". Sir Keith Porter, Professor of Clinical Traumatology, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom

This work features cartoons by David Allan, chairman of Mountain Rescue Council (England) and text by Judy Whiteside, editor of "Mountain Rescue News" - the official national magazine for Mountain Rescue. David Allan, FRCS, said: I have been involved with mountain rescue in a number of roles for a little over thirty years. During that time I have come to respect the people who provide the service for their commitment, their skills, and their capacity to endure. However, I have also come to believe that perhaps the most essential requirement for a successful mountain rescue team member is a sense of humour and it is in recognition of this that this book is produced. I must pay tribute to the excellent book Mountain Rescue by Bob Sharp and Judy Whiteside which I have parodied and used as a source of ideas.

MOUNTAIN rescue in the United Kingdom is a voluntary service. Mountain rescue team members are 'on call' through the 999 system 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They are as likely to leave a warm bed in the wee small hours to rescue an injured climber on some blizzard-blown crag, as hunt the grounds of your local nursing home in search of someone's missing granny. They're a dedicated bunch. And dare we say it, a breed of their own. Mountain Rescue takes a look at the service in its entirety, from a brief history of its raw beginnings through to the present day, exploring the rich diversity of calls on its time and the people involved.

This second edition of Ambulance Care Essentials offers a complete guide to the skills, knowledge and understanding required to work as a support worker or similar within the ambulance service. Covering fundamental elements of the role, the book combines theoretical aspects of communication, legal and ethical issues and safeguarding with more practical areas such as manual handling, medical emergencies and a range of clinical skills. It includes in-depth chapters on the primary areas of patient assessment as well as covering different patient populations across the lifecourse. Key features include: *Clearly illustrated, step-by-step instructions for range of practical skills and procedures including how to handle different types of trauma and cardiac arrest *Detailed anatomical diagrams to provide the reader with the necessary context to carry out the practical elements of their job more effectively *Evidence-based throughout and up-to-date with the latest guidance, policy and research *Specific chapters on each area of patient assessment and how to manage this effectively *Chapters dedicated to various patient populations such as obstetrics, paediatrics and older people *In-depth chapter on supporting senior clinicians and how best to assist the paramedic as a support worker This second edition has been brought up to-date with the latest national guidance. The book is appropriate for a Level 3 diploma course or similar that qualifies you to work as a support worker and covers learning objectives from a range of courses offered by ambulance services. It is an essential resource for anyone wanting to prepare themselves for a role within the ambulance service as well as those hoping to become a more effective member of an emergency ambulance crew.

The Rocky Mountains have inspired travelers for centuries. The vast majority of those who visit this vast area might write to their friends, "Having a great time! Wish you were here!" Meanwhile, a few every year invariably find themselves shouting, "Help! I'm in trouble!" And trouble never comes at a convenient time. Search and Rescue: Rocky Mountains gathers the most heart-racing accounts from 1847 to the age of modern rescue technology showcasing the heroism of park rangers, first responders, pilots, and others (some canine) who go out of their way to save people from falling rocks, lightning, boiling hot springs, frigid water, slick ice, wildlife, sudden storms, falls from precipices, or just getting lost.

As a foundation of the Order of St. John, St. John Ambulance has been providing first aid training programs in Canada for the past 125 years. From the sweatshops of the Victorian era and military hospitals of the First World War to a modern-day volunteer organization devoted to the service of humanity, this history recounts the remarkable story of the Order's contribution to our country and those who made it possible.

With connections to the hospitaller work of the Order of St. John in the tenth and eleventh centuries, the Order of St. John finds its modern roots in the English revival of this charitable work in 1831. The 1883 establishment of the Order of St. John in Canada signalled the beginning of a long and distinguished history of service to Canadians and people around the globe. As a nationwide volunteer organization involving more than 25,000 Canadians, St. John Ambulance continues to be the principal provider of first aid training in Canada.

She has to be OK, I pleaded silently to myself. She has to be. 'We've alerted the RNLI and they're sending a lifeboat out.' 'The RNLI?' I said, surprised. 'They do that?' Saved from the Waves is a heart-warming collection of first-hand accounts from RNLI volunteers of the myriad dangers they face during each mission to save beloved pets, wildlife and livestock. This remarkable book shines a light on the bravery of the volunteers, and the necessity of these rescues - not only to save animals at risk of drowning, but to prevent people putting themselves in danger when trying to save a cherished furry friend. Each mission requires courage, determination and an unrelenting commitment to helping those in danger. Each day brings a new challenge for the extraordinary volunteer crews who are the lifeblood of the RNLI.

Brought up-to-date with the latest guidance, research and policy, this second edition of Ambulance Care Practice is an essential guide for paramedic students, trainee associate ambulance practitioners, those studying towards a certificate in first response emergency care and other ambulance clinicians. It provides a complete overview of the key skills, knowledge and understanding required to work at ambulance associate practitioner level or similar within the ambulance service, covering theoretical aspects and practical application, as well as a range of different clinical procedures and patient populations. Key features include: *Clearly illustrated, step-by-step instructions for range of essential clinical skills and procedures including how to handle different types of trauma and cardiac arrest *Detailed anatomical diagrams to provide the reader with the necessary context to carry out the practical elements of their job *Evidence-based throughout and up-to-date with the latest guidance, policy and research *Specific chapters on each area of patient assessment and specific patient populations and how to manage these effectively *Chapters relevant to associate practitioner level including drug administration, mental health and end of life care as well as an in-depth chapter on assisting the paramedic. In line with the National Education Network for Ambulance Services standards The book covers learning objectives from a range of courses offered by ambulance services. It is an essential resource for anyone wanting to prepare themselves for a role within the ambulance service as well as those hoping to become a more effective member of an emergency ambulance crew.

Emergency Action for Chemical and Biological Warfare Agents, Second Edition is intended for the first responder to the scene of the release of a chemical or biological warfare agent. Formatted similarly to the Department of Transportation's Emergency Response Guidebook and designed as a companion to the author's Handbook of Chemical and Biological Warfare Agents, this book is divided into concise chapters that focus on the first few hours after the incident. Each chapter, or class index, is designed to give responders vital information on a specific group of agents. This is done rather than focusing on detailed information for individual agents because the specific agent(s) may not be identified until well into the response, long after many critical decisions have been made. Adding more than 100 additional pages of material, the second edition contains a wider library of agent classes that covers more hazardous materials. It also includes updated appendices that cover dissemination, the effects of weather and terrain, isolation, protective shelters, and manual decontamination. The book also provides a chemical/biological terrorism emergency response checklist. Addressing the immediate needs of first responders as they arrive at the scene of a chemical or biological warfare agent release, this book serves as a guide that gives critical information for key initial reactions without having to read through long explanations. It is an essential quick reference for first responders facing the release of chemical or biological warfare agents.

In the early 1960s, the main qualifications for acceptance into the ambulance service were the possession of a clean driving licence and a strong back. Tradesmen, mechanics, carpenters, car workers and ex-service personnel, after a minimal amount of training, could all assume the role of ambulance driver/attendant. That all stopped in 1965, when the Miller Report recommended that ambulance services should provide treatment as well as transport. I have compiled this book of over 100 stories to pass down to posterity some of the extraordinary, bizarre and comical moments of the past forty-odd years. Many of these events happened before political correctness had been invented. In the interests of all concerned, the names and locations have been altered to protect the guilty. All the stories are true. I dedicate this book to ambulance driver Len, who gave 43 years' service to the cause.

Rescuing wild animals in distress requires a unique set of skills, very different from those used in handling domestic animals. The equipment, degree of handling, the type of caging and level of care a wild animal receives can mean the difference between life and death. "Wildlife Search and Rescue" is a comprehensive guide on 'best practices' and suggested standards for response to sick, injured and orphaned wildlife. This valuable resource covers the fundamentals of wildlife rescue, from 'phone to field', including safe and successful capture strategies, handling and restraint techniques and initial aid. "Wildlife Search and Rescue" is a must have for anyone interested in knowing what to do when they are face to face with a wild animal in need, or for anyone involved in animal rescue. While the book focuses on wildlife native to North America, much of the information and many of the techniques are applicable to other species, including domestic dogs and cats.

Visit www.wiley.com/go/dmytryk/wildlifeemergency to access the figures from the book.

View the Table of Contents.
Read the Introduction.

Winner of the 2006 Outstanding Recent Contribution Award from the American Sociological Association, Sociology of Emotions Section

"Lois takes readers inside the social world of search and rescue volunteers, offering sociological insight into topics such as gender, emotions, and indentity."
-- "American Journal of Sociology"

""Heroic Efforts" began as a dissertation, but ends as one of the best book on emotions I have read in years. If you want a glimpse into the power of really good ethnography and the reason we need both qualitative and quantitative research, this book will provide you with both enertainment and sagacity."
--"Contemporary Sociology"

"[Lois] examines how rescuers construct meaning in their lives and define themselves through their risky, demanding work."
--"Seattle Times"

Many search and rescue workers voluntarily interrupt their lives when they are called upon to help strangers. They awake in the middle of the night to cover miles of terrain in search of lost hikers or leave work to search potential avalanche zones for missing skiers, snowboarders, and snowmobilers in blizzard conditions. They often put their own lives in danger to rescue stranded, hypothermic kayakers and rafters from rivers.

Drawing on six years of participant observation and in-depth interviews, Jennifer Lois examines the emotional subculture of "Peak," a volunteer mountain-environment search and rescue team. Rescuers were not only confronted by physical dangers, but also by emotional challenges, including both keeping their own emotions in check during crisis situations, and managing the emotions of others, suchas those they were rescuing. Lois examines how rescuers constructed meaning in their lives and defined themselves through their heroic work.

Heroic Efforts serves as an easy to understand sociological introduction to the ways emotions develop and connect us to our surroundings, as well as to the links between the concept of heroism and other sociological theories such as those on gender stereotypes and edgework.

A RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK 'With poignancy, humour and compassion, Jones invites us into "the invigorating chaos of pre-hospital care" . . . a panorama of experiences: the mundane, the ridiculous, the heartbreaking and the tragic' - The Guardian 'This beautifully written book, punctuated with wry humour, is a sobering portrayal of the ailing, the distressed and the lonely... Yet it's also an uplifting read which will make you thankful that should your hour of need arrive, so will someone like Jones' - Daily Express A memoir of the chaos, intensity and occasional beauty of life as a paramedic. A young man has stopped breathing in a supermarket toilet. A pedestrian with a nasty head injury won't let the crew near him on a busy road. A newborn baby is worryingly silent. An addict urinates on the ambulance floor when denied a fix. This is the life of an ambulance paramedic. Jake Jones has worked in the UK ambulance service for ten years: every day, he sees a dozen of the scenes we hope to see only once in a lifetime. Can You Hear Me? - the first thing he says when he arrives on the scene - is a memoir of the chaos, intensity and occasional beauty of life on the front-lines of medicine in the UK. As well as a look into dozens of extraordinary scenes - the hoarder who won't move his collection to let his ailing father leave the house, the blood-soaked man who tries to escape from the ambulance, the life saved by a lucky crew who had been called to see someone else entirely - Can You Hear Me? is an honest examination of the strains and challenges of one of the most demanding and important jobs anyone can do.

Call-Out is the definitive collection of tales about early mountain rescue in the Highlands of Scotland from Hamish MacInnes - Everest pioneer and arguably the most famous Scottish mountaineer of the twentieth century. In the late 1960s, MacInnes led the Glencoe Mountain Rescue team and together they developed innovative techniques and equipment in order to save lives - often risking their own in the process - whether night or day, and always at a moment's notice. He was a central figure in the rescue during the 1963 New Year tragedy in the Cuillins on the Isle of Skye, and led groundbreaking rescues on Buichaille Etive Mor, Ben Nevis, Bidean nam Bian and many other legendary Scottish mountains. At the heart of the stories in Call-Out are the unique characters in the team and wider Glencoe community who demonstrate faultless camaraderie, and - by virtue of MacInnes's engaging storytelling - inject an almost comical slant into these sometimes-grim accounts of misadventure in the mountains. The dark allure of the frozen Scottish peaks provides a foreboding backdrop against which we learn of Hamish MacInnes's concern for human life under even the most extreme conditions. Call-Out offers an inspiring portrayal of responsible and dedicated mountaineering practice, which is as pertinent today as ever.

K9 Teams is for all levels of K9 detection handlers and anyone who works with K9 search and rescue and recovery teams. If you're looking to maximize the operational performance of your SAR/R team, this book is for you. This unique handbook compiles the latest research findings, personal accounts from seasoned SAR/R professionals, and best practices for the management of effective K9 teams from the United States and around the world. Vi Hummel Shaffer, a K9 handler with more than 25 years' experience, offers a comprehensive look into K9 search and rescue and recovery team standards, certification and training for both civilian and law enforcement teams.

In February 2016 the RAF's Search and Rescue Force (SARF) celebrated its 75th anniversary. In June that year the world-renowned and universally admired service was officially disbanded, despite attempts from many, including HRH Prince William, to save it as part of the RAF. This book is an official, fully illustrated, in-depth account of the SARF's rich and glorious history, from its origins in World War II through to its recent withdrawal. The book contains a foreword by HRH Prince William himself, plus action-packed and awe-inspiring photographs from the RAF's archive of photographs and exclusive interviews with former crewmembers, telling their own dramatic stories of derring-do. Officially endorsed by the RAF, The Official Illustrated History of the RAF Search and Rescue is the first, and probably the only, major book of its kind written on this subject. It is an essential purchase for anyone with an interest in military history, British history, the Royal Family and those who love stories of extreme and daring rescue missions.

A beautifully written insight into the stresses, strains and successes of working for the London Ambulance service. Is there anyone who hasn't wondered about the state of the occupant of an ambulance, screaming along with its sirens on and blue lights flashing? Have you? And have you wondered about the other people inside the ambulance, maybe fighting to save the patient's life? Or have you considered that the ambulance may be another 'maternataxi' ordered by a woman who can't be bothered to book a real cab and who then complains she can't smoke on the way to hospital? And that the medical technician inside might just be desperate to get back home from a busy shift, to have a cup of tea and catch up with his blog? Meet Tom Reynolds. Tom is an Emergency Medical Technician who works for the London Ambulance Service in East London. He has kept a blog of his daily working life since 2003 and his award-winning writing is, by turn, moving, cynical, funny, heart-rending and compassionate. It is never less than compelling. From the tragic to the hilarious, from the heartwarming to the terrifying, the stories Tom tells give a fascinating - and at times alarming - picture of life in inner-city Britain, and the people who are paid to mop up after it.

As paramedicine shifts to an all-graduate profession in the UK, this new title is designed specifically to support students to meet the rigorous academic requirements of becoming a paramedic. Study skills has a direct and forthright approach, and covers everything students need to succeed in academia, from academic writing to referencing, essays and presentations, exams and reflective practice. Its interesting case studies are ideally suited to students of this hands-on profession. Written by paramedics for paramedics, this book will help students of all academic levels quickly find their feet and excel on their journey toward working in an ambulance or healthcare setting. Written by experienced paramedicine lecturers and tailored to the academic requirements of students Conforms to Universal Design for Learning, making the text accessible for everyone Written simply and without waffle, ideal for practically-minded students Healthcare examples throughout put learning into context

When ships seek safety in port, lifeboats head out to sea, no matter the weather conditions. The German Maritime Search and Rescue Service, the Deutsche Gesellschaft zur Rettung Schiffbr chiger (DGzRS), founded 1865, is probably the world's best equipped non-governmental rescue organization with a correspondingly trained and motivated personnel force dedicated to saving life and rendering assistance at sea. In May 2015 the society celebrates its 150th anniversary. RESPEKT is an homage to the lifeboat service and people securing the German North Sea and Baltic coasts. Lively English-German essays and picture captions give deep insight into the world of sea rescue. The book introduces the reader to lifeboat history, astonishing lifeboat technology and noble men and woman whose priorities are to aid people in peril at sea.

Hier is 'n versameling gewaagde reddings vol drama en gevaar, ter viering van die NSRI se 50ste herdenking. Die stories, wat alles dek van brandende skepe tot haai-aanvalle, van sinkende vistreilers tot hallusinerende vissermanne, gaan oor die mens se konstante stryd teen sommige van die gevaarlikste vaarwaters op aarde. Dit sluit die storie in wat tot die stigting van die NSRI gelei het.