The Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue Team is a registered charity, made up of more than 40 volunteers, including doctors, paramedics and people from all walks of life who have specialist rescue skills. An integral part of the UK’s national search and rescue service, the organisation covers 350 square miles across East Lancashire, Pendle, Rossendale Valley and parts of Greater Manchester. It’s an area that includes rugged mountains, remote moorland and exposed terrain.
Through links with both Lancashire and Greater Manchester Police, and the Lancashire and Greater Manchester Ambulance Services, the team also deals with a wide variety of call outs via the 999-dial system, including missing person searches or assisting the ambulance service during severe weather and where access to a casualty is difficult.The solution includes a mix of vandal-resistant HD dome cameras with infra-red lighting
Customised surveillance
When Secom plc, a fire and security specialist, became aware of the challenges facing the mountain rescue team, it was keen to step in to offer its support. The company has delivered a customised high-definition video surveillance solution at the two sites. IDIS donated a suite of its state-of-the-art HD surveillance equipment at no cost, with Secom undertaking all installation entirely free of charge as part of their ongoing drive to make a positive impact on society.
The solution includes a mix of vandal-resistant HD dome cameras with infra-red lighting plus powerful IDIS DirectIP network video recorders. These have up to eight channels with total incoming throughput to enable HD real-time recording, with live displays up to 240ips to ensure very high-quality images and no latency. The system is easy to use, giving the team everything required to stay fully updated on system status and on-site activity.The IDIS FEN (For Any Network) service makes it easy for team members to see real-time or recorded footage remotely
IDIS FEN for real-time video recording
Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue has two operational sites in the region from where it coordinates all its activities. Vehicles, specialist equipment and essential medical supplies are all kept on site to enable fast access by authorised team members in the event of a call out. Assets include off-road vehicles to tackle rugged terrain plus controlled drugs that could save lives in an emergency.
Until recently, there was no surveillance to monitor the site and protect its valuable assets. There was increasing awareness of the need to safeguard the assets while the sites were unmanned and to ensure 24/7 accountability for all activities. But, as a not-for-profit organisation running on a very limited budget—entirely dependent on volunteer support and charitable donations—there were no resources to invest in physical security.
Rossendale and Pendle Mountain Rescue is benefiting from industry-grade level of protection that it can rely on to safeguard service continuity. It also has greater accountability and can ensure regulatory compliance regarding stewardship of controlled medication. The inclusion of the IDIS FEN (For Any Network) service within the solution makes it easy for team members to see real-time or recorded footage remotely via any smart mobile device.
