MARSHALLING AT THE TT

It’s that time of year again when the TT is lurking in the not to distant future; at least it is at the time of writing. The Isle of Man TT Marshals Association Ltd (IOMTTMA) is busier than ever; carrying out much of the
unseen work behind the scenes; work that needs to be done so the event can take place and be a success. Safety issues are always high on the agenda and the IoM TT Marshals Association Ltd is always aware of the constant need for any safety angle to be pursued; this year is no exception. One such element towards improving safety is the number of flag marshals stationed around the course. There are currently 60 official white coat flagmen at strategic marshalling
locations; we are now increasing the number to around 200. This was considered
necessary to give a clearer signal to the riders during any potential incident. With machines getting ever quicker we need to warn riders as early as possible and slow them sufficiently before we go about our job on the course; the only way we can do this is with the flags. These extra flag marshals will be charged with the sole duty of flag operation; that will be their only responsibility for the entire session. It will of course have an effect on the manning levels at each location; these however will be met and the only way we can achieve this is
with more marshals signing on. Flags are the only way of making contact with the competitors, but we are sometimes in need of contact with other officials
around the course. Since 2004 the races have been run using TETRA radios where they replaced the old style walkie-talkie hand sets. This year there has been an increase in the number of radios in use around the course; now in the region of 250; there is not one location that is not in radio or telephone contact.

The radio links are vital to control the procedure of a race and obviously to report any problems. Prior to races commencing Deputy Sector Marshals confirm their specific manning levels to the Chief Sector Marshal and he in turn to the Chief Marshal and then he to race control. Marshals can directly talk to any
other marshal in their particular sector and by switching to another sector number can converse with marshals at any of the remaining 11 sectors. During a race a marshal may need to report to Race Control for any number of reasons; again a simple change of setting will connect them directly to one of three Race
Control operators. During more serious incidents marshals can raise the alarm on the radio by using the emergency button; this is the infamous red button and when pressed immediately connects the marshalling location with race control and summons a travelling marshal and the AIRMED helicopter is scrambled; both arriving in a few minutes. All this will happen without the marshal having to
say a word, as the computer link to the radio has logged its location and that of the marshal; at what time the marshal does need to speak he can do so ‘hands free’ as the emergency mode allows an open channel for a short time. The emergency channel also takes precedent over any other radio traffic; TETRA
is a seriously vital piece of equipment.

Another safety measure is the change in the way anyone can become a marshal; gone are the days of turning up and ‘signing on in the hedge’ as it is sometimes called. Any new or first time marshal will have to sign on at the Marshals Office at the Grandstand and must view the basic instruction DVD before
being allowed to marshal. This DVD was introduced last year for the MGP and is in the form of a Power-Point Presentation. It covers basic race procedure, flags, fire extinguishers, TETRA radios, AIRMED Helicopter procedure and a whole lot more; it lasts for about 30 minutes and is the absolute minimum instruction
you will need to see before being allowed to sign on. There is also another DVD available which covers all the above mentioned items but in a movie format; including a mock race incident. It is a Duke Video product created by the IOMTTMA and is free to all marshals who sign on; the viewing of this DVD will also qualify any new marshal as having received the basic instruction prior to signing on. Of course watching a DVD cannot make anyone a fully trained marshal; that’s where an IMC comes in handy; but more of that later. A further area of safety is how new marshals are dealt with, as mentioned earlier, in past years you could come along and sign on at the very last minute, or even at a marshalling location. You could then have found yourself in a position of serious responsibility and without even the most basic of instruction.
That does not happen any more, all new marshals will be assigned to locations
where there are accomplished marshals who will guide them through the remarkable
experience of road racing. Likewise any new marshal between 16 and 18 years old will be assigned to similar locations; again they will be under the eye of experienced marshals. So anyone who fancies the idea of joining the IOMTTMA need not worry about being thrown in the deep end; this will not happen. There
is often a lot of discussion about experienced and fully trained marshals and quite often a misconception is made. Fully trained marshals, in some cases may well not have much experience and alternatively marshals with a vast number of years experience may have no actual training at all. That is why the IOMTTMA
strongly urges every marshal to take part in an IMC (Incident Management Course); this way we bring the experienced and the trained together. The IOMTTMA has now trained over 32% of all the marshals on the register, in real terms this is over 1,000 marshals and the number is forever increasing. It is now a
requirement that all Chief Sector Marshals and Deputy Sector Marshals are IMC trained. Of course the only way to get experience is to actually do the job; there is no other way of becoming a first class marshal other than taking part.

An Incident Management Course is probably the best thing you could actually
take part in if you are a motorcyclist and value the longevity of the TT or MGP. Consider a scenario, one many of us have witnessed for real, you are out for a ride or drive or maybe just walking along the road, whatever; a motorcycle
approaches you and for some reason loses control and crashes right in front of you. The rider appears to be injured and is lying in the road; bits of his bike are scattered all over the place and oil and fuel have been spilt from the machine, what would you do first? Faced with something like this that happens
in a split second it is not an easy question to answer, especially as you would probably be in a slight state of shock yourself, albeit not as much as the rider in question.

If you take part in an IMC you will receive all the instruction that would enable you to deal with just such an incident. This particular course is one designed around the specific needs of the TT Course, covering race procedure and basic first aid. The first aid element instructs you in resuscitation technique, the procedure for removing a rider’s crash helmet and fitting a cervical splint
or ‘stifneck collar’. You will also learn how to put a casualty in the recovery position and how to ‘log roll’ them onto a scoop stretcher and a whole lot more.

The race procedure element covers all the essentials shown in the DVDs and
explains how to manage an incident. So back to the scenario, what would you do
first? The overriding response should be to preserve your own safety and simultaneously call for help, but what would you do next? How would you assist the rider? What would you do for them first? What about the broken machine, would you move that first? What about oncoming traffic? It’s not easy to decide is it? Once you have been on an Incident Management Course everything will
become all too clear and give you an invaluable skill which will serve you well for many years. Anyone who is a registered IOMTTMA marshal can take part in the Incident Management Courses which are held here in the IoM several times throughout the year and at certain locations in the UK. They are free and
take 1 day to complete, on completion a St John Certificate ‘First Aid for Motorcyclists’ is issued along with an IMC cloth badge, both valid for three years.

Why are we continually recruiting new marshals; how many do we need and do
we always have enough? The simple answer to that is yes, we always have enough; the day we cannot cover the minimum manning for any location is the day races or practice will not commence; the Clerk of the Course will not start any race or practice until minimum manning for every location is confirmed.

We continually recruit new marshals for many reasons; we need to replace members
who cease to marshal through age or health and others who only marshal once
and never again. Not all the marshals on the register marshal at the same time; not all of them attend both the TT and the MGP. Not all of the marshals attend every session of every day; nor of both weeks, so it’s tough keeping control of the situation. We also continue to recruit and train marshals because the ongoing Health & Safety and Risk Assessments we carry out sometimes call for an increase in manning levels and apart from any other reason the more trained marshals there are, the safer we can make it for everyone concerned. There you have it - we still need your help, so if you would like to get involved with
marshalling and join one of the many teams around the Mountain Course; we will be pleased to make you welcome. Come along to the marshals’ office at the rear of the Grand-stand; view the DVD instruction and sign on. Alternatively check out our many contacts for all you may need to know about marshalling and taking part in an exclusive TT Course IMC.

The IoM TT Marshals Association Ltd wishes all the competitors the very best of luck and to all the spectators a great TT, safe riding and some exhilarating races; we can only hope the weather also obliges.

Bill Carden

Contacts us: Tel -01624 852891 (answer/fax) Email: info@iomttma.com Website:
www.iomttma.com. Isle of Man TT Marshals Association Ltd P/O Box 149, Douglas, Isle of Man
IM99 3JA.