Eckerd College Search and Rescue

Eckerd College Search and Rescue (EC-SAR) is a student volunteer maritime search and rescue team. EC-SAR provides its services, free of charge to the St. Petersburg / Tampa Bay area of Florida, within 10 miles of its station on the Eckerd College campus. EC-SAR works alongside local EMS services and the United States Coast Guard. For emergency assistance EC-SAR can be contacted on VHF channels 16 and 68, ph. [phone], or through Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg. Along with providing its services to the community, EC-SAR seeks to better the students by "Education through Service", building leadership and team skills.

History

In 1971 the team was created for the safety of the college's own vessels in the Waterfront Program. By 1977 EC-SAR expanded its services to the Tampa Bay area community. EC-SAR gained national attention in 1980 when it was one of the first agencies to respond to the Sunshine Skyway Bridge disaster.

EC-SAR was rated "Best Student Group" in "Florida Leader"'s "Best of Florida Schools 2003" issue. [http://www.floridaleader.com/best2003_6.htm]

Members coordinate the utilization of four rescue boats through an operations/communications center located in the Waterfront Activities building. EC-SAR assists over 300 vessels each year, including:

Services

Towing-Using a variety of techniques, disabled vessels are towed to the place of nearest safe mooring.

Pulling vessels from aground-If a vessel has run aground, the vessel will be pulled off.

Dewatering sinking vessels-If a vessel is taking on water, the source of the flow of water will be temporarily plugged and water will be pumped out.

Righting a capsized vessel-Parbuckling is the term used to describe righting a vessel that has flipped over.

Firefighting-Boat fires are extinguished using some of the only on-water fire fighting equipment in the Tampa Bay area.

Searching-Ranges from looking for an overdue vessel to a person in the water.

Medical Assistance-First Responders will stabilize injured patients and transport them to land where local EMS can meet them.

External links

* [http://www.eckerd.edu/waterfront/ecsar/ Eckerd College Search and Rescue] official Web site