HM Coastguard are recruiting volunteer rescue officers in Sunderland and Seaham

There can be some challenging training sessions.

The HM Coastguard will showcase the equipment they use at the open day on Sunday, August 18 at 1.00pm as they hope to recruit more volunteers in Sunderland and Seaham.

Coastguard rescue teams are made up entirely of specially trained volunteer coastguard rescue officers, who are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to respond to a wide range of emergency incidents including people struggling in the water, technical rope rescue incidents, rescue helicopter operations, and missing person searches.

Coastguard volunteers may be called out at any time of the day or night, in all weather conditions, and may have to work in hazardous situations, carrying out physically demanding tasks.

As a Coastguard rescue team member, you could be tackling any emergency

Full training and equipment is provided, and no previous emergency service or maritime experience is required.

They do require you to be aged over 18-years old, have a full UK driving licence, and live within 25 minutes drive of your local station.

You also need to be reasonably fit and in good health, and will be required to take a fitness test, along with meeting the eyesight and hearing requirements prior to becoming operationally deployable.

A spokesperson for the HM Coastguard said: “Being part of a Coastguard rescue team is a big commitment and requires regular training sessions and attending emergency incidents.

“We are particularly interested in people with good daytime availability during the course of the standard Monday to Friday working week.”

Recruitment will close on the August 23.