We’ve put together some useful information which we hope might help anyone who is planning to go outdoors stay safe.

We have also compiled some tips for water safety, a guide for when someone goes missing, and a free sheet for the Herbert Protocol – a carer’s checklist.

 

Going Outdoors Safely

There are many parts of the West Midlands where it is possible to be isolated and in danger from changing weather, injury or getting lost. A few sensible precautions can help when it starts to go wrong:

• Tell someone where you’re going, and when you expect to be home.
• Take a mobile phone, and keep it protected and warm.
• If you have an emergency, dial 999 and ask for either Police (lost or stuck somewhere), Ambulance (injured) or Fire (stuck in water).
• Consider registering to be able to send SMS to 999. Sometimes this is possible even when there’s no signal to make a telephone call.
• If you are on in a mountainous area, you can call the Police and then ask for Mountain Rescue. Do not call for MR if you are in a non-mountainous area as it will delay any response. You cannot call a Lowland Rescue team directly – you need to call the Police.
• Always carry a torch, whistle and warm/waterproof layers. Even if you go out during the day, an injury could leave you exposed until after dark.
• A whistle is a great way of attracting attention. 5 short blasts.
• If you’re in a group, stay together.
• Invest in a GPS so you can get an exact position if you are injured.
• Phone GPS is great, but can fail. Always take a paper map as well.
• Get trained. You can take courses in Navigation, First Aid, Survival Skills and many more useful things.