The latest column from Jake Lanning, of West Bay Coastguard

It was drummed into me as a child that if I see a crime I should call the police, if I’m hurt I should call an ambulance, and if there is a fire I should call the fire brigade.

Noone ever told me that if I’m injured on the beach or coastal path, or if I become stuck in mud, or if my dog gets trapped on a cliff face, that I should dial 999 and ask for the coastguard.

As an island nation with a population of over 65 million, it is estimated that only four million of us live around the coast, so it is not surprising that coastguard awareness did not make the national curriculum.

Originally from London, I spent my formative years visiting West Bay and had no idea there was a coastguard rescue team stationed right under my nose. Even if I had, I couldn’t have told you what they did.

However with the rise of social media, coastguard rescue teams have been given a voice and a fantastic platform to engage with our communities. Awareness has increased, so too have the requests for us to visit local schools and groups, enabling us to talk about what we do and how to keep yourself safe. These sectors are doing a fantastic job at educating the next generation but there is still a lot of work to do.

It’s up to all of us as a community to help educate not only our children, but also our families, friends and loved ones. We must be vigilant, and help bridge the gap between the local fisherman who uses the coastguard as a lifeline, to those families and people on holiday who might have no idea who to call in a cliff or coastal emergency. gov.uk/coastguardsafety