What four Falmouth Lifeboat volunteers had to prove at sea

Anchoring. Towing. Finding a casualty and getting help to them. Four volunteers at Falmouth Lifeboat have just shown they can do all of it, with senior crew watching every move.

Tony, Charlotte, Matt and Bex passed their T1 ALB crew assessment on Sunday (25 October), and the station was quick to congratulate them.

It also thanked everyone who gave their time and effort to the four volunteers’ training at Falmouth Lifeboat Station.

Who put them through their paces

The assessment was carried out by Coxswain/Mechanic Adam West, the station’s training assessor, under the watchful eye of Deputy Coxswain Joe Sibley.

The four were assessed on:

• anchoring
• towing
• mooring and berthing
• locating and assisting a casualty
• operating the VHF radio

Alongside those set tasks, Adam and Joe were looking at the general nautical skills that keep a crew safe on deck. That meant keeping a lookout, ropework and general deck work. According to the station, all four did really well.

How Falmouth’s volunteers are trained

Every member of the station follows a competence-based training and assessment programme, whether they serve on a crew or in a shore-based operations role. It covers an agreed range of skills and competencies needed to carry out essential tasks safely and effectively.

On top of that, volunteers take part in operational training to help them meet the high standards their roles demand.

Every operational volunteer at this RNLI station works through the Operational Competence Framework (OCF), a structured pathway that supports them at each stage of their training and development.

What comes next

Sunday’s assessment is one stage of that pathway, and there is more training ahead for all four.

“We are incredibly proud of their achievements and look forward to supporting them as they continue their training,” the station said.

📷Credit: Falmouth Lifeboat