View Full Version : Caithness and Southerland Search and Rescue Cash Bingo!
I saw a poster for this in Wick Pets at home and it now seems to of disappeared! [disgust]Anyone know the details please?
This is a registered charity which I like to support.
Can't say I know much about the bingo night, but I happened to be able to watch one of the CASST dogs working. It was very impressive, they had a fake casulty somewhere on the hillside and it took the dog 7 mins from getting out the car to finding the person. Would have taken a team of people hours to cover the same ground.
It's a worthwhile charity to support I'd say.
I am as everyone knows, chairman of CASST and was more than a bit surprised to hear that posters are missing from the Wick area. The one in Pets at home is the third one I have heard of.
Details of the Bingo night will be posted on the CASST website (www.casst.org.uk (http://www.casst.org.uk)) the basic information is
Friday 17th September RBL(S) Thurso
£1.00 entry fee ADULTS ONLY as this is cash bingo
Doors open 1830 hrs eyes down 1930 hrs
Minimum jackpot £400 and a huge raffle
full details see website
Thank you for your comments Summer CASST work very hard to ensure that dogs and handlers and support staff are always up to standard. Wednesday was one of several exercises we put on to test our readiness each year. Anyone is more than welcome to come along and see us, again check the website for details.
Why do the Local Police not use your group ,they have stated in the Paper that there is No way they will call on your services why?
You've asked a good question Wicker10, because based on the information from the paper last week courtesy of Iain Grant, Lothian and Borders Police did't have any probs working with these our local volunteers nor did the folks from Strathclyde Police whose area they were working in. They even get a thank you on the Lothian & Borders Website
http://www.lbp.police.uk/press_release/articles/2010%5CAugust%5C16%5C1.htm
Nearly forgot - veekay - I would like to make a donation of a raffle prize to your group can you please pm me with details of where to drop it off
I have sent you a pm mad1man thank you for your kind offer. Perhaps we could persuade you to come an see us work sometime.
As for you question Wicker10 I wish I could answer you, many of you will remember the last time this question was raised we still have had no contact from the Constabulary and we are still ready willing and able to prove our worth. Perhaps you Wicker would like to come and see us train and then you can make up your own mind as to whether we are a useful resource or not. PM me if you are interested.
Are our boys in blue still failing to use Caithness and Sutherland Search Team?Are you having a laugh?
I saw somewhere that they've been using the Red Cross to search in Thurso and Tain so why not Caithness and Sutherland Search Team?
I call on our politicians to look into this - I've seen the dogs in action and cannot believe the local police are still not using them.
I see today that the two high heid yins are retiring next year. Even that Northern might merge. About time too.
As for CASST - keep up the good work folks - the public appreciate what you do.
I woud love to come and see you a train. I woud also give a donation if a bucket were handed out!!
I also have a raffe prize you might like if you could pm me with an address to send it I would be greatful!
Thank you for all the nice comments. I have pm where asked. For information CASST is a registered charity our number is SC035708
Hello, can you point me to the newspaper article please - which paper was it in? Is there an e-link to it?
I see that CASST have been used at several incidents now with fire and police and having seen the dogs work a couple a years ago at a training session I am still stunned that Inverness based people are dictating you cannot be used for searches here in Caithness or in Sutherland.
If a relative of mine was missing I'd call you in - and no-one in a blue uniform would stop you or me taking part in a search. Northern Constabulary exist to prevent crime, protect life and property and from what I see they're not fulfilling their obligations to protect life.
I wish I could attend your bingo session but business takes me elsewhere then - best wishes for it.
OK, I've the bit between my teeth - from what I can see on the web our police leaders' reasons for not using CASST are that they haven't given them their insurance and they're not recognised.
I didn't always sell ice-cream so I do know that insurance is provided by the Police Board to cover everybody that assists the police in searches so this is a red herring. As it happens I'm told that CASST do have their own insurance in any case and that they have given it to Northern Constabulary but they still say they haven't got it.
As for recognition what do they mean? It can't be membership of the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland because CASST don't operate in mountains and they have membership of the National Urban Search and Rescue Dog Group that was set up by government for the exact purpose of providing a group whose members could prove they were genuine, have proper training, have set standards of dogs etc. Do Northern mean THEY don't recognise them?
I read in today's P&J that Mr Latimer wants people to volunteer their time to be Special Constables to help their communities. Well Mr Latimer I know of a group of around 20 people in Caithness that are willing to give up their own time to help you out in missing people cases and thus reduce the amount of time your officers will be out looking for people who go missing and so let them get back to what you seem to think is important - administration.
The leader of the Police Board thinks we have 'locally accountable police' - not from where I'm standing you don't!
So Mr Latimer, how's about swallowing your huge pride and recognising CASST
else we'll ensure the next bunch of local councillors to be elected come the local government elections will hold you and your depute to account?
I'd like to point out I'm not a member of CASST and by 'we' I mean the general voting public.
OK, I've the bit between my teeth - from what I can see on the web our police leaders' reasons for not using CASST are that they haven't given them their insurance and they're not recognised.
I didn't always sell ice-cream so I do know that insurance is provided by the Police Board to cover everybody that assists the police in searches so this is a red herring. As it happens I'm told that CASST do have their own insurance in any case and that they have given it to Northern Constabulary but they still say they haven't got it.
As for recognition what do they mean? It can't be membership of the Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland because CASST don't operate in mountains and they have membership of the National Urban Search and Rescue Dog Group that was set up by government for the exact purpose of providing a group whose members could prove they were genuine, have proper training, have set standards of dogs etc. Do Northern mean THEY don't recognise them?
I read in today's P&J that Mr Latimer wants people to volunteer their time to be Special Constables to help their communities. Well Mr Latimer I know of a group of around 20 people in Caithness that are willing to give up their own time to help you out in missing people cases and thus reduce the amount of time your officers will be out looking for people who go missing and so let them get back to what you seem to think is important - administration.
The leader of the Police Board thinks we have 'locally accountable police' - not from where I'm standing you don't!
So Mr Latimer, how's about swallowing your huge pride and recognising CASST
else we'll ensure the next bunch of local councillors to be elected come the local government elections will hold you and your depute to account?
I dont think the problem is with Police HQ in Inverness but with the Caithness management based in Wick by the comments in the Groat or Courier a couple of weeks ago by Inspector Angus Mackinness who is based in Wick and is the area inspector for caithness
I woud love to come and see you a train.
I've just been to the CASST website to see when I can go watch and the next training I can see is 26th September, come on veekay strike while we're interested any chance of something sooner? Maybe someone from the Police will come along and join us watching? Sorry maybe they have already seen you working.
Thanks for taking an interest Mad1man.
Unfortunately September is a busy month for us fund raising wise. We have to generate all our own funding, we are all volunteers and cover most of our own costs. However we need to upgrade our PPE - both human and canine - and it is very expensive so fundraising is urgently needed. The dates on the website are for team training, all members and especially those with dogs, train in their own time, most every day, so although it might appear we are letting things lapse, we are not. As for the police, they have an open invitation to come along anytime to see us, unfortunately they haven't been yet.
Just keep an eye on the website if we can fit in another team day it will be there and we would love to see you there.
Thanks for the information.
Was it just me or upon reading the paper on Wednesday last week and then this thread think the following question when they read this article:
http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/8583/Berriedale_repairs_are__nothing_short_of_a_disgrac e_.html
Is it only roads that Northern have "a statutory duty to protect life" on? Sorry, bad of me I know. I can't help it - it's genetic. ;)
In all seriousness Mr Reiss' comment gives me hope that maybe he is willing to listen, he's admitted that they have this duty so really they have to do something about this situation, especially now CASST have been used by another police force.
Looking forward to the Bingo Night too, eyes down, look in... now where are those two fat ladies???
Why do the Local Police not use your group ,they have stated in the Paper that there is No way they will call on your services why?
I have been away for a while and playing catch-up with the Org. This, Wicker10, is an interesting point you are making. All police forces say it is the incident commander that is in charge of a situation/incident. This raises the question is he or isn't he? Reading this thread and the previous threads about this same group, it seems to me that instructions are coming from Inverness about who should and shouldn't be used taking any decision from the 'incident commander'. I have done a little delving and what I have discovered is very interesting. You might like to do the same and find out just who holds the SAR portfolio for all land based searches for the whole of Scotland.
Is this part of the problem?
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