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SAR to be privatised


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More goverment cuts,this time our brave search and rescue teams,will the private sector have the training and dedication needed to sucessfully run a search and rescue service,I very much doubt it.

They already do it for the Coastguard run choppers, e.g. Lee on Solent, Stornaway and Portland that I know of (But they are already going to close the helicopter service out of Portland).

Their biggest problem may be that most of the privatised choppers seem to be flown by ex RAF or ex Navy pilots.

So if the Navy and RAF aren't training them then who will be?

Still it won't be a problem immediately as the existing military SAR crews will probably be available to join!

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They already do it for the Coastguard run choppers, e.g. Lee on Solent, Stornaway and Portland that I know of (But they are already going to close the helicopter service out of Portland).

Their biggest problem may be that most of the privatised choppers seem to be flown by ex RAF or ex Navy pilots.

So if the Navy and RAF aren't training them then who will be?

Still it won't be a problem immediately as the existing military SAR crews will probably be available to join!

I cannot see Prince William working in the private sector

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Bond helicopters operate a number of SAR services throughout the UK as well as just about every police helicopter and air ambulance. Added to this they also are one of the leading offshore transfer companies! They saw a gap in the Market and have become pretty much unique in their field and has been mentioned, provide a huge employment pool for ex forces. Oh did I

Mention that they also service Merlin and Puma aircraft for the RAF?

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. . Yes it's true, although we have RAF techs working on the aircraft, all the second line stuff is pretty much done on an exchange basis and full returns are done by companies such as Bonds. On the aircraft side things aren't much different with companies such as Marshalls currently upgrading c130s as well as trustee airframes, the cost? The ownership of the airframe transfers to companies such as Marshalls then they lease them back

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There is an example of private search and rescue in existance in the RNLI, they don't seem lacking in motivation or dedication.

Yes but the aren't trying to make a profit out of it!

The area I see potential problems is not in the dedication of the front line staff but in the commitment of the accountants who will run the companies that get the work. Of course we can trust the politicians to tie them down with watertight contracts can't we. Oh yeah, look at the PPI contracts fiasco for examples of that...

Properly controlled there should be no extra risk in the privatisation, but the devil may be in the small print.

If they go for the cheapest tender then the contols will have to be there.

Remember that case a few years back when a mountain rescue service was refused lottery funding because "They didn't rescue enough disabled people!"

The RNLI is a charity that doesn't get Government support and works towards its aims and goals without a profit margin to worry about.

But I wonder if the RNLI would think about expanding into the Air Rescue role?

Co-ordinated Air and Sea rescue from one supplier...

And the politicians would love to privatise public services via charities, with no government cash required.

Ah but they already do that, don't they, any one called for an Air Ambulance lately?

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Wouldn't trust this or any other government to tie anything down or do anything right.

Politics mean compromise in everything, to get one thing you give up another.

Why then do we believe the government are the best ones to run our search and rescue teams?

Yes private is for profit but if that can be achieved by doing it better then it is win win.

Charitable organisations may not be for profit but their suppliers are and there is a lot of money to be made from it.

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Remember the air sea rescue service was born to rescue downed pilots, over the years it has changed in what it does and now the Sea Kings are ageing and showingexpensive signs of that age. Much of the service work done on those machines is already done by civilian companies where nowadays civilian companies are better placed to carry out this role especially as there is a very high demand for operational pilots overseas

Whether the government pays for SAR through the defence budget or from private contract, it is still paying and, in this case at least, it may be cheaper for a civilian company to carry out those tasks

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