Dartmouth Coastguard Rescue Team have come to an agreement with their management after threatening to strike over health and safety concerns.

The team resigned en masse last Wednesday in protest of recent changes.

Andy Pound, Dartmouth Coastguard Rescue Team, confirmed that they had come to an agreement with their management on Wednesday morning, saying ‘they have listened and we’re happy, as long as they do what they say they’re going to do.’

Concerns were raised over a number of issues from training to procedures, and Andy said ‘we couldn’t let it go on. We shouldn’t have to refuse to go on shouts, but we needed to make them listen, we had grave concerns’.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency, and therefore Dartmouth Coastguard Rescue Team, are part of the Department of Transport, the only emergency service to fall under their jurisdiction.

Recent policy changes made at the higher levels of the Government had caused concerns within the team.

‘London and Whitehall make these policies’, explained Andy, ‘and they think one size fits all, but it doesn’t. They don’t understand what we do here. We had members of management down three days this week and they have listened to us. We’re happy.’