By helping to improve safety around the coast, NCI encourages increased use of inshore coastal facilities and community participation. Local businesses and councils see us as a major contributor to safety, providing benefit where they offer leisure facilities and venues.
NCI assists other agencies by providing visual searches for missing persons and stolen craft, as well as highlighting environmental incidents. We work with the RNLI and other local safety groups to optimise safety at sea and along the coast. Where possible we involve young people in our activity providing cadet training and places for Duke of Edinburgh Award and similar voluntary schemes.
Local communities provide essential support to NCI, enabling us to staff, manage and fund our stations and operations. We have an associate membership scheme which enables broader interest and support from inland communities. NCI offers its members the opportunity to improve individual confidence and self-esteem through training and a sense of purpose, as they play an active part in the UK Search and Rescue Organisation in their local area.
On average, we are involved with two major incidents every day, Incidents we regularly deal with include:
• people injured, stranded or blown out to sea on boards, inflatables and kayaks
• swimmers and divers in difficulty
• people cut off by the tide or washed from rocks
• injured walkers and climbers
• missing person searches including vulnerable people and lost children
• stricken vessels with engine failure, capsized, lost or damaged masts, rigging etc
• hazardous debris and pollution, ashore and afloat
• cliff falls, stranded and injured marine mammals and sea birds
Consultations with our SAR partners and our own volunteers, a far-reaching Situation Analysis and a rigorous SWOT study led us, in addition to strengthening our management structure, to five key strategic programmes for the period 2021 to 2026 Develop our capability to assist with water safety/prevention:
1 Develop our capability to assist with water safety/prevention
2 Expand national coverage through additional stations and technology
3 Progressively align and build NCI capabilities in tandem with HMCG
4 Implement a national IT platform and consistent station technology
5 Develop NCl’s profile to build awareness throughout the UK
The objectives in developing an NCI role in water safety are to:
• establish a distinct ‘NCI brand’ role in water and coastal safety.
• collaborate with agencies already active in water safety to assist in the reduction of accidents along the coast.
• contribute to a raising of NCl’s profile nationally and in local communities.
We’re currently working on four primary areas:
Information Provision – publishing NCI-branded material carrying national and local safety information
Collaboration – meeting with RNLI and other agencies active in water safety provision to develop joint programmes to ensure NCI safety material and delivery complements the work of existing agencies.
Education – production of NCI packages to support national and local outreach programmes,
Real-time advice – providing real-time advice to coastal users via VHF radio to advise and warn of hazards.
For a full copy of NCI’s 5-year Business Plan in PDF format, please email: [email protected]