Welcome to Gosport and Fareham Inshore Rescue Service

Medical Team

The Medical Section of GAFIRS is a registered BASICS scheme and is known as GAFIRS IMCT, The team comprises of a Doctor, Paramedics and other medical staff, The team have developed, and have at their disposal, a wide range of medical equipment which has been designed or modified for use in the marine environment.

The team provides training for GAFIRS members ranging from BLS (Basic Life Support) through to Casualty Handling and Extrication. The training is designed to assist the GAFIRS members when they are having to deal with casualties and also to enable them to assist members of the team when they dealing with serious medical emergenices.

The equipment available to the team ranges from basic first aid equipment, splintage and various rescue stretchers through to an AED (automatic external defibrillator), advanced airway management equipment and intravenous therapy equipment.

What type of incidents the Medical Team attend

The Team have attend many types of incident, including head, neck and spinal trauma, Cardiac emergencies, Airway Blockages, Convulsions and many more trauma or medical calls.
A yachtsmans who suffered bruised and broken ribs following a fall in rough seas.
Following a speedboat collision, working on a 14ft speed boat with two casulaties both with major trauma (cervical and chest injuries). Both required cervical immobilisation and airlifting to hospital.This incident provided a good working relationship between the Coastguard Helcopter Medic and the two GAFIRS medics as we had never all worked together.Liason between the helicopter (who collected a BASICS doctor when returning for the second patient) and the Medics worked exceptionally well. As we had little room for the Doctor on the boat, pain relief was sent down on the winch as the patient was in severe pain,.