Broads Authority - Broads Control Number

[Poppy]

42 minutes ago, imtamping2 said:

Surely the calls can be diverted to another part of the BA during lunch hour, come on its not rocket science....or is it ?

Precisely so - the technology exists to 'divert ' calls - perhaps to a 'Ranger'.  Staggered lunch breaks are not beyond the wit of man, either!

[BroadScot]

Well sort of off topic, but, when I worked for a firm of which I was foreman, my lunch half hour was suppose to be 12 noon till 12.30pm, however, manys a time the phone rang in the office and I was called out during my lunch to an "emergency" As has been said, its not rocket science, and the "lunch hour "  should not be set in stone ! Back to a phrase I use quite often....Common Sense! Now where was I, ah yes my lunch !

Iain

[Maxwellian]

Gracie. This site never off topic, you're having a laugh.

[marshman]

And Vaughan - didn't want you to miss out!!!!!

[BroadScot]

1 hour ago, Maxwellian said:

Gracie. This site never off topic, you're having a laugh.

Ian, anyone who drinks wine in six inch heels while avoiding flappy boaty things ...has to be having a larf ! 

Iain

[ExMemberBobdog]

Once again I make the point that the BA does not operate an emergency service.  As I understand it the main purpose of Broads Control is to monitor the whereabouts of BA staff who may be working alone and/or in isolated locations to ensure they are safe.  Thereafter Control exists to answer queries and offer advice if possible.  In an emergency, call the emergency services,

[Poppy]

13 hours ago, Bobdog said:

Once again I make the point that the BA does not operate an emergency service.  As I understand it the main purpose of Broads Control is to monitor the whereabouts of BA staff who may be working alone and/or in isolated locations to ensure they are safe.  Thereafter Control exists to answer queries and offer advice if possible.  In an emergency, call the emergency services,

OK. Next time I see something like the event in my OP - I'll call the coastguard - in Bridlington 

[marshman]

I have heard that Humber (Bridlington) coastguard are just as helpful as the old Great Yarmouth ones. They will be delighted to help in an emergency.

[JennyMorgan]

15 minutes ago, marshman said:

I have heard that Humber (Bridlington) coastguard are just as helpful as the old Great Yarmouth ones. They will be delighted to help in an emergency.

So long as they don't call out the lifeboat the next day

Re the Broads Authority and emergencies, ummm, once more we have gone full circle so I'll mention, yet again, Spirit of Breydon. 

[ExMemberBobdog]

8 hours ago, Poppy said:

OK. Next time I see something like the event in my OP - I'll call the coastguard - in Bridlington 

Yup.  Do you have a copy of the tide tables published by the BA (that little pink book)?

If so, look inside the front cover. It says ...

Problems and Emergencies.

Routine Advice, etc.

To contact a BA Navigation Ranger or for routine navigation advice telephone Broads Control ... blah, blah, blah.

For general police matters that are not an emergency, contact Broads Beat on 101.

Emergencies.

In the event of serious incident or emergency involving risk to persons or serious damage to property call the Emergency Services on 999, asking for Police, Fire Brigade, Ambulance or Coastguard as appropriate.

If it's more than 'routine' but not quite an 'emergency' (as in the case you describe), personally I'd call the boatyard the vessel is hired from - it's their problem really.

 

[marshman]

No no Bobdog - surely it must be the jurisdiction of the BA despite everything written down. After all, those instructions are in a BA publication - that would say that!!! 

[Vaughan]

56 minutes ago, marshman said:

 

No no Bobdog - surely it must be the jurisdiction of the BA despite everything written down. After all, those instructions are in a BA publication - that would say that!!! 

 

Here we go "calling the boatyard" again. They are not responsible for the civil behaviour of their customers nor their adherence to the navigation bye-laws. I return to my earlier analogy : if you saw a hired car drive through a red traffic light, would you ring Hertz to complain about it?

Poppy doesn't describe this incident in detail but I assume he saw some-one (possibly drunk) about to dive in the water to get a rope off the prop. No matter who you call, this situation is going to resolve itself in a matter of seconds or just minutes. Either these idiots will survive (Darwin's Law again) or an air ambulance will have to attend after the fact.

I don't know these particular circumstances but from what we have been told there is nothing the boatyard, or the Broads Control, could have done to stop this happening.

 

 

[LondonRascal]

I agree that a boatyard is a ‘holiday provider’ and they ensure the craft that is hired is fit for its purpose, and take all due steps to impart on their customers its safe operation and draw their attention to the various rules – backed up in greater detail by the Skippers Manual.

If the customer is foolish then they are, it is not for the boatyard to act as ‘Matron’ looking after them at all times and preventing them from being foolish.

The issue the Broads Authority have is on the one hand they wish to be, by their very name an ‘authority’ and they have launches that patrol the rivers which have a blue flashing light on the wheelhouse. They can stop craft, provide advice, issues warnings and even issues notices and work closely with the Police so on the other hand it is not too hard for people to presume they are some  emergency service to turn to, or whom should provide assistance and sort out crews of boats who are behaving in a foolish manner.

I think more money needs investing in the public face of the Broads Authority – the Rangers themselves.  I think there should be additional patrol boats, perhaps smaller than the current launches.  A little like Special Constables perhaps a new type of Ranger who have fewer powers and may work on a voluntary basis but who could provide greater on river coverage and compliment the full time staff in the larger launches. 

What I think also is needed is a bit more sophistication at ‘Broads Control’ – the ability in real time to track where the Rangers are at any given moment by looking at a computer screen would be handy rather than trying to raise them over the radio or phone and be given perhaps vague location information.  This sort of technology would be easy to implement and available ‘off the shelf’ as used by fleet operators to track their vehicles.

My personal experience with Broads Control happened in April - upon filming the Boat Review the I noticed the Jolly Ritchie drifting without power at the mouth of the River Ant from my position at the end of the moorings at St. Benet's.  I was uncertain of what was going on, but all crew appeared calm and on the boat I called Broads Control - ten minutes after their 'lunch time' had ended, but still was met with the recording.  I left message and within a few minutes was called back.

They had called Richardson's who confirmed staff were on route to the boat.  So the system (if you wish to call it that) worked where by Broads Control contacted the boatyard, passed the message on staff were then aware and I was called to be told matters were in hand.  Of course if it was a case where the boat was in danger or crew I would have called the Coastguard first then Broads Control to make them aware of what was unfolding and where.

[ChrisB]

You missed a trick there! 

The Jolly Richie drifting powerless! 

You should have finished the job and sunk her.

[ExMemberBobdog]

Actually Rascal, there are already a significant number of Ranger Volunteers, who may patrol with a Ranger to assist, and once they have completed their training may patrol solo on the normal launches, (with, as you suggest, more limited powers).

Agreed, the boatyards may not be responsible for 'behaviour' (although they do routinely advise Broadsbeat of bookings by stag/hen parties, who are often met by BB at the beginning of their holiday and given some 'friendly advice'), but if their boats break down/get damaged then it is their responsibility to recover/repair.  A Ranger may assist by aiding a broken down vessel to the nearest 'point of safety' and then call the boatyard.

[Matt]

9 hours ago, Vaughan said:

Here we go "calling the boatyard" again. They are not responsible for the civil behaviour of their customers nor their adherence to the navigation bye-laws. I return to my earlier analogy : if you saw a hired car drive through a red traffic light, would you ring Hertz to complain about it?

 

Of course not because Hertz don't stick their Name and phone number on their cars so how would you know it was a Hertz car

Given that hire companies do the boats are in effect a means of advertising the company. Would they not want to know if it has become a bad advert?

[ScrumpyCheddar]

6 minutes ago, Matt said:

Of course not because Hertz don't stick their Name and phone number on their cars so how would you know it was a Hertz car

Given that hire companies do the boats are in effect a means of advertising the company. Would they not want to know if it has become a bad advert?

Sorry to throw a spanner in the works Matt .. Hertz and other hire cars do have there names on hire cars ... Here's an example from Jersey .. We always hire from europcar there cheapest lol... They have 2 big green logos on front and back windows...   Ooooops sorry gone way off of subject of BA INSPECTORS  

[JennyMorgan]

The following is lifted off the BA website and is what is expected of the Head of Rangers in regard to emergencies:

6. Emergencies Liaise with the Police, Coastguard and other emergency services to ensure that the Authority’s personnel and resources are appropriately used in emergency situations. Take part in emergency exercises ensuring that the Authority takes a proper role in exercises and emergency response training. Prepare emergency/major incident plans. Assume the role of designated person under the Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC) regulations. Provide leadership and assume responsibility in incident or emergency situations including oil spill incidents. Represent the Broads Authority on the Norfolk Resilience Forum and support Gold Control as required during incidents. As appropriate, to be included in the emergency call-out list provided to police, coastguard and emergency services and, in the event of an incident, to attend and help mobilise the Authority’s response.

[Matt]

8 minutes ago, ScrumpyCheddar said:

Sorry to throw a spanner in the works Matt .. Hertz and other hire cars do have there names on hire cars ... Here's an example from Jersey .. We always hire from europcar there cheapest lol... They have 2 big green logos on front and back windows...   Ooooops sorry gone way off of subject of BA INSPECTORS  

Clearly a fraudulent picture- nobody would hire that.............

[ScrumpyCheddar]

10 minutes ago, Matt said:

Clearly a fraudulent picture- nobody would hire that.............

They use to until Ford pulled out supplying the hire companies last year... Now don't laugh everyone ... Me and Her in doors hired one of these one year.. Yep a Rover metro with the roof cut of by jersey states fire brigade... No only joking about the fire brigade bit ..  We did hire this ...  

[Vaughan]

49 minutes ago, Matt said:

Of course not because Hertz don't stick their Name and phone number on their cars so how would you know it was a Hertz car

Given that hire companies do the boats are in effect a means of advertising the company. Would they not want to know if it has become a bad advert?

I realise, Matt, that when I make that comparison I am leaving myself open to a remark such as yours, and you are right in what you say. But I think you get the point, all the same? Hire companies reserve the right to refuse to hand over a boat to what they consider "unsuitable hirers". In all my career I have only ever done this twice.

Once the boat leaves the yard, however, the bird has flown the nest. We simply cannot be responsible for customers who go out and break the law, or cause civil disturbance. Yes, we want to know if the boat has been damaged and yes, we want to know if we have got to come out and re-float the thing but don't you see? All this is "after the event". We can't stop it happening in the first place and nor, I suggest, can Broads Control.

[Vaughan]

47 minutes ago, JennyMorgan said:

The following is lifted off the BA website and is what is expected of the Head of Rangers in regard to emergencies:

6. Emergencies Liaise with the Police, Coastguard and other emergency services to ensure that the Authority’s personnel and resources are appropriately used in emergency situations. Take part in emergency exercises ensuring that the Authority takes a proper role in exercises and emergency response training. Prepare emergency/major incident plans. Assume the role of designated person under the Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation (OPRC) regulations. Provide leadership and assume responsibility in incident or emergency situations including oil spill incidents. Represent the Broads Authority on the Norfolk Resilience Forum and support Gold Control as required during incidents. As appropriate, to be included in the emergency call-out list provided to police, coastguard and emergency services and, in the event of an incident, to attend and help mobilise the Authority’s response.

Good grief!

I wonder what Jack Hunt would have thought of that? He used to get in trouble with Charles Collier because he hadn't coiled his mooring lines neatly enough on the cabin top!

[JennyMorgan]

2 minutes ago, Vaughan said:

Good grief!

I wonder what Jack Hunt would have thought of that? He used to get in trouble with Charles Collier because he hadn't coiled his mooring lines neatly enough on the cabin top!

I always thought that Jack was ex matelot so should surely have been able to flake down his lines, unless he had had enough of tiddly nonsense in his service days. 

[vanessan]

8 hours ago, Vaughan said:

 

Once the boat leaves the yard, however, the bird has flown the nest. We simply cannot be responsible for customers who go out and break the law, or cause civil disturbance. Yes, we want to know if the boat has been damaged and yes, we want to know if we have got to come out and re-float the thing but don't you see? All this is "after the event". We can't stop it happening in the first place and nor, I suggest, can Broads Control.

On quite a few occasions, I have read that someone has phoned a hire boatyard to report dangerous behaviour of clients. Possibly behaviour that could lead to the hire boat being damaged and personal injury. In all cases it would appear the hire boat companies have been grateful for the tip-off. They are, after all, able to contact the client by mobile phone and put a warning shot across the bows (sorry!) and surely this is better than sitting back and doing nothing until the worst happens. I'm not advocating this as  something that should happen at the slightest misdemeanour, only in the most dangerous cases.   

[HemsbyPie]

I don't really understand all the BA bashing on here (Don't shoot me for that as I have no idea how BA is run but I have met many, many of the Rangers who all seem to be nice dedicated and professional).

The BA are certainly not an emergency service...

If it's an emergency call 999. If it's not, wait 30 minutes and call the BA control room... Don't really see what the fuss is about 

If it's not a 999 call but you don't feel like you can wait for the BA to finish their lunch then it's 101 through to Norfolk Police who will happily delegate to the appropriate authorities...