Information On How To become a winchman?

[spud]

i didnt say there shouldnt be reserve winchmen, i just said there wasnt much requirement for them, seing as the AC only has abot 8 helis which usually only fly during weekdays.
In that case why isnt there reserve techies/ATC/firemen/radar operators? Because the AC dosnt need them....

As regard to being a paramedic for chc, thats what i thought as well, but my friend has a contact in chc (a pilot i believe) who says emt is the minimum standard. Maybe it used to be paramedic until the title changed a couple of years ago. Only taking Paras would severly limit there intake, as only the hse and dfb train paramedics at the minute.

[X-RayOne]

but if you had 20 people applying and 15 are paramedics and 5 EMTs....thats the 5 EMTs at the bottom of the list straight away. just the way it goes.

they also have advanced paramedics working SAR now so the basic standard of care is going to be getting higher so they're not going to be too keen to drop the standard by 2 levels.

[DeV]

Just went on the CHC website they have 2 jobs advertised in Australia in SAR / HEMS ops:

Those are minimum requirements for Australia

https://www5.recruitingcenter.net/Clients/chc/PublicJobs/controller.cfm?jbaction=JobProfile&Job_Id=11586&esid=az

https://www5.recruitingcenter.net/Clients/chc/PublicJobs/controller.cfm?jbaction=JobProfile&Job_Id=11549&esid=az

[hedgehog]

i didnt say there shouldnt be reserve winchmen, i just said there wasnt much requirement for them, seing as the AC only has abot 8 helis which usually only fly during weekdays.
In that case why isnt there reserve techies/ATC/firemen/radar operators? Because the AC dosnt need them....

As regard to being a paramedic for chc, thats what i thought as well, but my friend has a contact in chc (a pilot i believe) who says emt is the minimum standard. Maybe it used to be paramedic until the title changed a couple of years ago. Only taking Paras would severly limit there intake, as only the hse and dfb train paramedics at the minute.

exactly

[DeV]

http://www.phecit.ie/Documents/Publications%20&%20Media/Newsletter/PHECC%20Summer%20Newsletter%202009.pdf

... When asked what the single biggest change,to helicopter operations he has seen in his 22years of SAR, Daithí is quick to point out it is how crews are selected and trained and the requirement that
they achieve the relevant standard in order to become PHECC-registered practitioners. Traditionally all winch crew would have come from a military SAR background and would have had different levels of first aid training. Today, however, Search and Rescue Paramedics have to be PHECC-registered in order to become part of the highly trained SAR unit. After successfully undergoing a rigorous selection process, which involves psychometric assessment, water tests, a physical test, helicopter underwater escape training as well as an interview, several months of training gets underway.

Colm Hillary from Remore in Co Galway is one of the ‘new breed’ of SAR Paramedic. Colm, an electrical engineer before training as a Paramedic, worked initially on a Galway-based ambulance before joining as an Ab initio crewman. After several months training he was posted to the Sligo base before transferring to Shannon. For Colm working on a Search and Rescue helicopter is the fulfilment
of a life-long ambition. The completion of Colm’s winching training is only the first part of his SAR career. After gaining a few years experience going down on the winch during rescues he hopes to
qualify as a winch operator.

[hedgehog]

Nice little bit on todays 9 O Clock news

about the rescue of that Pilot by a Coastguard heli complete with camera crew today

the female heli pilot (dont even go on about her hair) was really really young looking

well done to all

[Boomer]

PHECC paramedic is not the current basline for the current contract so the pilot contact someone has is correct, but the next contract states basic level of care as Paramedic PHECC registered.
We are recruiting from the EMS ranks and training the lads up it has proved to be very succesfull to date and is looking like it will be the way forward for a long time to come.

Quick question SAR man, would Advanced paramedics not be better for this role?

[Goldie fish]

Nice little bit on todays 9 O Clock news

about the rescue of that Pilot by a Coastguard heli complete with camera crew today

the female heli pilot (dont even go on about her hair) was really really young looking

well done to all

http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0811/9news_av.html?2593027,null,230

She does have lovely hair.

Fantastic work from the Coast Guard Helicopter and its crew.

I wonder is it normal to have the winch operator recording events, or was it just because the aircraft was involved in training?

[hedgehog]

I wonder is it normal to have the winch operator recording events, or was it just because the aircraft was involved in training?

The contract is up for renewal soon and I would imagine a major PR drive is about to or has just kicked in

well done to the crew of the atlantic rowing boat- at this stage it would seem churlish to tell them they are in the wrong sea

[Wiggles]

Any air corps lads on here have any advice for an upcoming winch man interview.... (its tomorrow)... (and I was only informed of this today, resulting in flap city) ... is it competency based like the recruit/ cadet interview or a different style? Any info on the course it self? Tried company office, orderly room, IKON and several officers and all anyone can come up with is a start date :L :L :L

[GoneToTheCanner]

Hi there,
Enthusiasm, willingness to work hard, ability to work in a tight, tough crew environment in a tough work environment, ability to focus on task despite noise/weather,etc,etc.....some of what you will be asked is just basic standard interview stuff "tell us about yourself...give examples of teamwork in a work environment....HR stuff like courses done, time served,etc,etc". Some of it will be pointy questions, aimed at you working under pressure/your track record (essentially they want to see if you are a genuine team player because a SAR heli crew is a very tightly integrated crew, that are heavily dependent on each other and they generate a huge amount of trust in each other, to an extent not necessarily prevalent in other parts of the DF or even other aviation ops....they need you to pull your weight at all times and not goof off and you must be boringly reliable at all times). You must come across as a steady, focused individual. Needless to say, they will have checked you out beforehand, even if only unofficially so you''d better have a good reputation and a clean sheet, because if they have cause to think that you are a lightweight, they won't waste time and money on you.