Mark Jenkinson from Scarborough's all-weather lifeboat crew has been selected for the prestigious European Lifeboat Crew Exchange Programme.
Mark will be representing the RNLI for five days visiting Sjӧrӓddnings Sӓllskapet - the Swedish Sea Rescue Society (SSRS) next week.
In an intense itinerary over five days, Mark will be experiencing how the RNLI’s Swedish counterparts undertake their maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) operations. This will include visiting several SSRS stations and being onboard some of their rescue vessels. There will also be an opportunity to visit the SSRS Headquarters and Joint Rescue Coordination Centre.
It's the first time since 2019 that the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) have staged the event.
The IMRF states that a ‘key feature of the programme is to build up productive networking relationships between fellow SAR crew members in Europe, as well as develop and build new skills’. The programme aims to improve maritime SAR.
Training modules Mark will take part in include first aid, navigation, towing, sea survival, man overboard recovery, crisis management, leadership and maritime English. This year’s confirmed hosts are Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK. There will be representatives from SAR organisations from around the world who are members of the IMRF.
There will be a Search and Rescue training exercise, where teamwork will be critical whilst cooperating with multiple SAR units. There will also be a Helicopter exercise. This will teach Mark and his selected international counterparts about the cooperation between the SSRS and the Swedish Maritime Administration’s SAR helicopters. He will also learn about their Standard Operating Procedures regarding SAR and helicopter hoisting. In addition, Mark will participate in a visit to Måseskär Lighthouse.
During the visit to the SSRS headquarters, Mark will encounter discussions about the different organisations the participants are representing, the SSRS’s operations and technical department, communications and charity department, as well as the sea safety, innovation and research and development department.
Mark Jenkinson commented:
'I have volunteered for various organisations for about 15 years and volunteering for Scarborough RNLI is an absolute honour for me. This opportunity to represent the RNLI in Sweden will be the pinnacle of my voluntary career. I’ve lived in Scarborough all my life and haven’t done much travelling, so to be given this opportunity to visit a country I’ve always wanted to go to is amazing.
'Joint working between organisations in best practice is the building blocks of the RNLI. I will look forward to passing on the skills the RNLI have taught me as well as learning new skills from our overseas colleagues. Thank you to our managers for giving me this opportunity.'
Roger Buxton, Lifeboat Operations Manager, at Scarborough RNLI stated about Mark’s selection:
'We are very proud that Mark was picked to represent Scarborough RNLI on the exchange visit with Sweden. It will be a busy week learning all about the SAR techniques from another country. Whilst many of the procedures will be very similar, there no doubt will be some subtle differences in the way they carry out their rescue work. Mark can bring this knowledge back to share with the Scarborough crew. I'm sure Mark will be able to share the way we work, along with his experiences with them too.'
The European Lifeboat Crew Exchange 2023 takes place 24-29 September 2023.
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