"After talking to one of the members of the Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team Plymouth (DSRTP) during a fundraising event, I thought that it would be good to get back into walking on the Moors, but this time with a purpose…and what better purpose than training to save people’s lives. I was also interested in the technical side of the training such as the specialised first aid training, micro navigation and radio work.
DSRTP is a purely charitable organisation and receives no funding, other than what we organise and collect ourselves through fundraising events. The partnership with University of Plymouth benefits the team immensely and allows us to maintain, and improve on, our current equipment and facilities. This means we can be even more efficient, professional and well equipped, and can continue to provide a much needed service.
We love being able to work closely with the staff and students of University of Plymouth. Currently students are helping us with training evenings by performing as casualties and in return, they receive an insight into our scope and capabilities.
There are also opportunities for students to be trainees, which will have numerous benefits for them. They’ll gain vital skills in team work, leadership and creative thinking, plus they’ll learn to cope with performing technical tasks under stressful conditions, all of which are lifelong lessons.
What’s been my most memorable moment with DSRTP? Riding in a police helicopter on a beautiful clear evening and swooping over the ridge between Sharpitor and Leathertor, to reveal Burrator Reservoir. Although walking at night through fresh snow with the whole team, for the Christmas training exercise up at Princetown, was fairly special too. "
Nolan Smyth, BSc (hons) Physiotherapy graduate.