Luke Brisco is a peak performer, in and out of office hours, because the Ameon estimator has taken his love of hiking and the great outdoors to a new level by volunteering to becoming a member of the Bowland Pennine Mountain Rescue Team (BPMRT).
While most people have hobbies away from the workplace, few will have chosen one that will see them permanently on call in the event of an emergency, yet Luke, 28, takes this in his stride, as do his colleagues covering one of the largest mountain rescue areas in the country.
Despite the name of the organisation, the BPMRT has multiple roles and only a proportion of its call outs are for actual rescues at altitude. Many are responding to calls about lost or injured walkers, often in the more remote parts of the countryside, while the team is also called upon in regional search and rescue missions, such as the current high-profile search in Lancashire.
Luke gained his love of walking and climbing at an early age, when his uncle Clarrie (short for Clarence) would take him fell walking during holidays and weekends. By the age of seven years, he’d climbed his first Lakeland peak – the 2,313 ft Pike o’ Blisco – which Clarrie claimed was Luke’s own peak, as it was so close to the family name! This started Luke on the walking (and climbing) path that has brought him to join the mountain rescue team, which has since become a key part of his life.
Since the early days, with his uncle teaching him the ropes, there have been many Lakeland hikes and even a climb of Jebel Toubkal, which, at 4,167 metres, is the highest peak in Morocco’s High Atlas mountain range – also the highest in North Africa – which Luke climbed to raise money for Ameon’s nominated charity, Brian House Children’s Hospice.
Although there are dangers associated with mountain rescue, each member is engaged in ongoing training, and each must be first aid proficient. In Luke’s case, this has seen him gain his first aid qualification and begin several months of medical training for a casualty care certification, which will be reassuring to any adventurous Ameon colleagues, spraining an ankle by slipping on a coffee spillage in the staff kitchen!
Says Luke: “I’ve turned a passion of mine into something that can help people, so I’m really pleased to be part of the rescue team.
“There are dangers to be out on a fell in the dark, and in winter conditions, but it never really worries you, because you’re part of a close-knit group of highly trained people, who’ve seen it all and done it all during in their time in the team, so you feel confident that somebody always has your back in any situation.”
We take our hats off to Luke…and can all stride confidently into the great outdoors knowing that he and colleagues like him are on call 24/7. Also, we should no longer fear the thought of slip hazards in the kitchen at Ameon HQ!
