13/06/2026
Seaham Coastguard – What We Do & Who We Are
999 – COASTGUARD
Have you got a minute to refresh yourself on the role and capabilities of HM Coastguard in your local area?
🚨 We are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, in all weathers
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Our Coastguard Rescue Station is located just off North Road in Seaham, providing excellent coastal access north and south, allowing us to respond quickly to emergencies along our coastline and beyond.
We operate one 4x4 emergency response vehicle and are made up of a dedicated team of 10 Coastguard Rescue Officers from a wide range of backgrounds.
Seaham Coastguard brings together a wealth of knowledge and experience, ranging from officers who have recently joined to more experienced members. We also work closely and regularly with our flank teams Sunderland Coastguard Rescue Team & Hartlepool Coastguard Rescue Team
As Coastguard Rescue Officers, we are on call 24/7 and can be mobilised at any time of the day or night by our paging system
While there is no on-call allowance, we currently receive a small payment for incidents attended and some specific training undertaken to offset the personal cost of attending. (however these payments are being removed in September)
🔹How HM Coastguard Works🔹
Coastguard Operations Centres, located around the UK, are responsible for coordinating and tasking Search and Rescue (SAR) assets, including Coastguard Rescue Teams, RNLI lifeboats and Coastguard helicopters.
When you dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard, it is one of these Operations Centres that answers your call, assesses the situation and deploys the appropriate rescue resources.
🔹Who We Are🔹
HM Coastguard is a government-funded emergency service and forms part of the UK's national Search and Rescue capability. Unlike some other rescue organisations, HM Coastguard is not a charity and does not rely on public donations to operate.
As a Category 1 responder under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, HM Coastguard has statutory responsibilities for emergency preparedness, response and recovery. This places the organisation alongside other key emergency services and responder agencies that work together to protect life, property and the environment during emergencies.
Seaham Coastguard is proud to play its part in delivering that capability at a local level, responding to incidents along our coastline and supporting wider emergency response operations when required.
🔹What We Do🔹
Seaham Coastguard attends approximately 170-180 incidents each year and works closely with partner emergency services to provide an effective search and rescue capability.
Our primary responsibilities include:
• Water Rescue
• Technical Rope Rescue
• Casualty Care
• Missing Person Searches
• Time-Expired Pyrotechnics and Ordnance (TEP) Response
• Establishing Emergency Helicopter Landing Sites
• Casualty Extraction
• Flood Response
• Royal Fish Duties
• Receiver of Wreck Duties
• Incident Coordination
• Mutual Aid to Other Emergency Services and Agencies
Working Together
Several members of our team are also part of our specialist flood rescue capability, which can be deployed nationally to support communities affected by severe flooding.
Whether responding to a person cut off by the tide, assisting a casualty on difficult coastal terrain, searching for a missing person, or supporting partner agencies during major incidents, our team is ready to respond whenever needed.
🌊 In a coastal emergency, always dial 999 and ask for the Coastguard.
⛵ For water users, assistance can also be requested via VHF Marine Radio Channel 16.
Coastguard Rescue Teams are on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, providing a lifesaving search and rescue service in all conditions.
