HHSAR annual report 2014 The Hottentots Holland Search & Rescue team served the greater Winelands and Peninsula areas as a capable, well trained and cohesive group during 2014.

Members Overall, the team size decreased slightly during the year due to a few members taking a sabbatical from rescue to attend to new jobs, wrapping up their studies and starting a family. This year probably was the first time ever in the team’s history that none of its members were undergraduate students. Only two of the members are post-graduates, with the rest all being employed in the Winelands area, making for great stability in the team’s structures and composition. At present the team counts 14 full members (of which 2 are not all too active and 6 could act as mentors), and 2 mentees. Of the 12 really active members, 3 can be regarded as senior in terms of skill and experience, and the rest as intermediate with a noticeable increase and solidification of skills and understanding of core principles during the past year. The team has been fortunate to make some significant headway in terms of getting its intermediate members to the next level, even though a lot of work, training, input and experience is still required to get the different members onto a more equal footing. Most of the intermediate members are highly dedicated to rescue and to advancing their own capabilities, and are willing to put in as many extra hours as they can possibly afford.

Rescues During 2014 the team has been called upon more often than in 2012 and 2013, partly due to the rescue helicopter not being available all the time, and mostly due to a mutually beneficial co-operation protocol between HHSAR and MCSA Cape Town, making the provision of resources to each other’s incidents a well-established norm. HHSAR members have been involved in various roles in 32 call-outs between January 2014 and today (05/12/2014) (as opposed to 25 in 2013). Of the 32 incidents, 26 were in the greater Cape Town area. For the period 01 Nov 2013 to 31 Oct 2014 the team put in 357 man-hours in responding to call outs. Having a solid base of multi-skilled, cross-trained team members (in the form of Radio HAMs, BAAs, Paramedics-to-be and Logistics Operatives) remains of enormous value. 1

Trainings The team’s two-weekly trainings continued as per usual, with a strong focus on bigger outdoor trainings during the summer months. On average, 9 people from HHSAR attended each training. Throughout the year, 1 social and 25 training sessions took place. 3 of these trainings were opened to all WSAR organisations, two of them being intensive field trainings. Of the 25 trainings, 8 were joint trainings with the MCSA Cape Town team. It is estimated that the team put in an estimated 300 man-hours for trainings during 2014.

Leadership, team internal and external The current leadership team has become an efficient, well-oiled machine with all 4 individuals being very involved, dedicated and committed. The term of the 2014 leadership team came to an end at the end of November, but the team has been re-instated for another year in office by the team members. A fifth shadowing member has been taken on board with the long-term view of building capacity in the crucially important technical training portfolio. In terms of the greater WSAR perspective HHSAR continues to foster a close working relationship with the MCSA CT, Metro EMS, HAMNET, LOG, DSAR and the K9 SAR Unit.

Fundraising Fundraising constitutes the team’s only means of income, from which the team funds its annual equipment insurance, as well as any gear- and equipment replacements/upgrades. The team and its associates successfully helped as marshals at the Pick ‘n Pay Cape Argus Cycle Race in March this year. Altogether 20 people operated under the HHSAR banner, thereby raising the majority of the team’s funds for the year. Other important fund-raising events constituted 2 trail running events where HHSAR assisted HAMNET with field team capabilities, as well as guiding Somerset College scholars through Landroskloof as part of the college’s annual Somerset Trek.

I would like to thank my fellow committee members Hagen, Nic and Mathias for their unwavering input, effort and support throughout the year, most of it well behind the scenes. Without them the team would not function as it does. A big thank you also goes to the HHSAR team for the dedication and contribution of each and every member – it is the team members, their attitude and spirit which make the team the closely-knit, capable, reliable and efficient group that it is.

Gela Tölken HHSAR convenor

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