The Outreach team pride themselves on their experience, professionalism and client care. It has always been the Outreach Policy to employ training staff who not only have all the relevant qualifications in their specialisations but have years of practical operational rescue experience behind them.
We believe it is this experience that enables us to offer the most practical and “real world” relevant training available. No one rescue is the same – there are common areas in all, but the requirements of decision-making, judgement and technical response will be different. Learning from books or from trainers who have not experienced the real thing will make the process of development a long and difficult one.
Additionally, Outreach Instructional staff hold a range of safety teaching and training qualifications including: -
• CIEH Professional Trainers Award
• NUCO Instructor
• IOSH Managing Safely
• NVQ A1 Assessor
• City and Guilds C23 / C24
• Mountain Instructors Award
• EDEXCEL FPOS Provider
The Outreach Instructors
George Smith
George “upside down” Smith is the longest serving Outreach member, with over 20 years involvement. His background in outdoor education, involvement in rope access and personal climbing skills are invaluable. He has a great understanding of technical rope and water rescue enabling him to deliver training to a high standard across all courses.
Vince Davies
Vince “the Fish” Davies has been with Outreach since 2002 and has been instrumental in developing and delivering all courses. With a strong background in water activities, Vince plays a major part in all water rescue training courses as well as many other programmes.
Al Read
Al joined Outreach in early 2007, after a career in the Royal Navy and working as a consultant in the Defence Industry. Al facilitates the search management, flood management and the middle manager level courses as well as instructing on other programmes. Al is one of the Team Leaders for Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Organisation with considerable search and rescue experience both in the UK and abroad. He can occasionally be found exploring parts of Greenland!
Ian Ellis
Ian "Boris" Ellis joined Outreach in 2008 after retiring as Deputy Chief Instructor of the RAF Rescue Service. As well as having a wide range of technical skills he is also a registered paramedic which brings a new dimension to all of our courses.
Gordon Goldsmith
Gordon works mainly at the Fire Service College where Outreach delivers it's technical USAR courses, including the Line Access and Casualty Extrication for Fire Service USAR teams and the Ambulance Service Hazardous Area Response Teams (HART).
Ian Dowson
Ian became an instructor for Outreach after retiring from Cleveland FRS and is based mostly at the Fire Service College, where his technical knowledge helps him to provide instruction on the USAR courses run by Outreach. In his spare time Ian is a keen builder and enjoys the wilder parts of the North East of the UK.
The Outreach Management Team
Tony Emsley
Tony Emsley has been involved in the world of technical rescue since 1978.
Beginning with the RAF for 22 years and subsequently with the Outreach Team since 1995, he has been involved in rescues and training all over the world, with experience at all levels from team member to team leader and manager.
Julie Coleman
Julie makes sure everything runs smoothly, she is the lady with her finger on the pulse ensuring that the centre runs efficiently day to day whilst also developing and implementing new business initiatives.
Julie joined the Outreach team after careers in the Tour Operating, Hotel and Call Centre Industries and finally as a Logistic Manager with Oxfam. She says if she can cope with a year in Sudan, she can cope with anything!
The Admin and Stores Team
Gemma Jones, Laura Evans and Adrian Griffin
This team is organised, resourceful and wonderfully efficient. Always rising to any challenge and ensuring others are kept on their toes!
Adrian turns his hands to everything, looks after the stores, keeping all equipment checked and safe, along with a million other jobs.
The Catering and Domestic Team
Chris Bailey-Hughes, Tanya Griffith and Alex Bailey-Hughes
Chris and his team are now famous across the Outreach world for their amazing food, with many returning customer always asking after them when they arrive at the centre. His sticky toffee pudding is to die for!
Mandy Ryder, Eleanor Jones and Mair Griffiths
These are the ladies who not only keep the centre clean and tidy but also make sure you are kept fed and watered even when you are off site, ensuring that there are plenty of biscuits and flasks of tea and tasty snacks.
