FACING challenges is all in a day's work for local Coastguard teams, but the last 10 months have brought tests none could have foreseen.

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One of those tasked with helping keep the dedicated bands of volunteers up and down the north-east coast ready to save lives, no matter what, is Colin Wood, the Senior Coastal Operations Officer Moray and North Aberdeenshire.

Mr Wood, who has been with the Coastguard for the last 11 and a half years, has been in his current role based at Buckie Coastguard station for five years. However, none of this experience could fully have prepared him or his colleagues of what was to engulf the nation last March.

"I never dreamed I would ever see anything like this," Mr Wood said.

"Obviously we have plans for operating in pandemics but no-one ever thought it would be like this or last for the length of time it's been going on for.

"One of the first and biggest casualties from the point of view of our rescue teams is that they weren't allowed to get together for training sessions. This has had a long-term impact, although it hasn't all been negative.

"We've had to move most of our training online but this has seen us significantly develop our e-learning platforms.

"When the Covid rules relaxed for a while last year we were able to get the teams out doing practical exercises but that's stopped again now, probably for a while. Coastguard teams are doing online refreshers for a lot of skills but there's no substitute for getting out there and doing it."

Mr Wood went on to say that in Moray there were 18 new entrants to the Coastguard despite the pandemic who were undergoing their basic training when conditions permitted.

"The Covid regulations allow us to do essential training, which includes learning new or essential skills.

"However, we're not allowed to mix and it means we can't bring together different teams to train with each other.

"Another big miss is not being able to train with the other emergency services. We had a lot of multi-agency exercises on the board before the pandemic hit but we've had to can all of these for the foreseeable future.

"We still keep in touch with our partners in other agencies virtually but we really need to get out there.

"I'm so proud of all the Coastguard teams – they have risen to all the extra challenges of Covid. As individuals they're all worried about their work and family but when the pager goes they're there to offer the same level of service as before the pandemic."

Although a good chunk of the last nine to 10 months have been spent in one form or another of lockdown, Mr Wood said that in general the number of callouts faced by Coastguard teams has remained "much and such" compared to the pre-Covid times, something which came as "quite a shock".

Looking ahead to 2021 and the hope that, thanks to the Covid vaccines, some modicum of normality will hopefully return later in the year, Mr Wood reiterated the need to resume practical exercises.

"First and foremost, when the regulations allow, we need to get the teams out there practising their skills," he continued.

"Working with other agencies again is priority, too.

"Also, we need to be engaging with people and communities to get our safety messages across.

"I'm keen to get the new flood team from the sector – which stretches from Nairn right down to Perth – up and running. We'll be looking to get 10 Coastguards from across Moray trained up for the team. It's certainly something exciting to look forward to."

Mr Wood will also be hoping for a return to greater normality in his own work, which would usually see him travelling across the north-east. Since last March he has been more or less restricted to working from home.

A strong family connection with saving lives at sea was to propel Mr Wood into the arms of a Coastguard career when he was a young lad in Whitehills.

He explained: "My dad was in the lifeboat crew when I was young so I've always been around this sort of thing.

"When I finished school I was originally going to go to uni but I chose the Coastguard –it's not a decision I've ever regretted."

Keep up to date with Moray Coastguard and how to support them or join a local rescue team by following their Facebook page.