What happens at Marine House?
GENERAL
The Marine Rescue Busselton headquarters (Marine House) is the central area for all activities. The building was officially opened in Feb 2008 and has had a number of additions added over time.
Marine House is not manned at all times. Unless someone is in the building, it is not possible for a member of the public or volunteers of the group to access the building.
A security alarm is on in all areas of the building when no-one is there.
TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE BUILDING
If someone is inside, the access door facing Geographe Bay Rd will normally be locked. To gain access:
- Press the doorbell on the side personnel door
- Anyone inside will be able to check who is there on a camera
- The person inside will press a button to unlock the door. They can also speak to the person standing at the door.
Unfortunately, if no-one is inside, silence will “reign supreme”.
The Ground Floor
The ground floor houses:
- One of the rescue vessels and tractor for launching and retrieving from the beach
- A small truck used for towing the vessels and moving other equipment when required
- A maintenance workshop area
- A storage area for operational items
- A small area for crew debriefs, after an exercise or emergency, and social activities
LOTTERYWEST COMMUNITY ROOM
Also on the ground floor is a large separate room that is available to be hired by the public as a meeting room.
It has an overhead projector and appropriate connections for computers, tables and chairs, whiteboard, as well as a sink, hot water service, stove, cutlery and crockery. This room is accessed and locked separately from the Marine Rescue Busselton rooms, but is linked to the same security alarm system.
To hire the Lotterywest Community Room any member of the public can make a booking through Marine Rescue Busselton by:
- phoning (08) 9754 7777
- emailing liaison@marinerescuebusselton.org.au
- completing our general enquiry form HERE
Prior to hiring the Lotterywest Community Room, users will be required to read and sign the Lotterywest Community Room - Conditions of Use form. Click HERE to access this form.
The Lotterywest Community Room is also used by the Marine Rescue Busselton group for its monthly members meetings.
The Second Floor
The second floor contains:
- Offices for the various committee members to carry out their duties,
- A meeting/training room, which also has a small kitchen and toilet/shower attached,
- The Control Room – which looks out over Geographe Bay,
- Storage area for items such as uniforms etc,
- Storeroom for other equipment.
Our rescue craft
The group has two rescue vessels. Their call signs are Busselton Rescue 1 and Busselton Rescue 2.
Rescue 1
Specifications
Constructed to a NAIAD Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) design. It has:
- Marine grade 5083 aluminium hull
- Heavy duty foam filled pontoons for stability, extra buoyancy and safety
- Pontoons mechanically attached for easy maintenance
- Variable deadrise for smooth ride
It is 10 metres long and is kept on an Air Berth, ready for launching, at the Port Geographe marina.
Rescue 2
Specifications
Constructed to a NAIAD Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) design. It has:
- Marine grade 5083 aluminium hull
- Heavy duty air filled pontoons for stability, extra buoyancy and safety
- Pontoons mechanically attached for easy maintenance
- Variable deadrise for smooth ride
It is 8.5 metres long and is launched from the beach at the Georgette St beach ramp.
Radio & Incident Control Room
The Radio and Incident Control Room (Control Room) houses the communication equipment which includes:
- Bank of VHF marine radios,
- SIMRAD electronics,
- Radar,
- AIS (Automatic Identifying System) tracking device,
- Computers
There are two separate workstations for radio control and a map plotting table
Maintenance
The Maintenance Officer oversees all the maintenance related to the vessels, buildings, and items such as the radios and other items. This maintenance is carried out according to pre-determined schedules and standards by qualified trades people.
