Coastguard confirms Oscar Charlie response times to be protected

The coastguard helicopter. Stock image: Brian Gray.

The response times of coastguard search and rescue helicopters at Sumburgh will be protected, the coastguard has confirmed.

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael has welcomed written confirmation from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency today.

In a letter this morning Virginia McVea, Chief Executive Officer of the MCA stated: “I write to confirm that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) review of operational requirements for future Search and Rescue aviation has now concluded… I can confirm that the current response times – of 15 minutes during the day and 45 minutes at night – will remain in place at Stornoway and Sumburgh for the new service, in line with other UKSAR2G bases across the UK.”

Mr Carmichael said:  “While this was first set out by the government in January that coastguard response times will be protected, it is welcome to have written confirmation of that from the MCA today.

“Retention of the same level of service from Oscar Charlie will be a breath of relief for everyone who works and travels at sea around the Northern Isles.

“Once again I have to pay tribute to islanders who identified the danger and raised their concerns.

“The actions of whistleblowers and local journalists to bring these plans to light as early as they did was absolutely critical to securing a U-turn from the MCA.

“These services cannot be taken for granted – but we have shown that we can and will defend them.”

This comes months after plans to quadruple search and rescue response times were quashed.

Mr Carmichael led a parliamentary debate in Westminster after the hushed-up plans were leaked to – and exclusively revealed by – The Shetland Times.

The Liberal Democrat hailed the scrapping of the plans as a “win for islanders, by islanders”.