August bank holiday is usually the RNLI's busiest weekend of the year - up to 200 lifeboat launches are expected.
You can get an idea of how many launches there are by downloading a lifeboat launch alerter - a virtual pager for your computer desktop - from www.rnli.org.uk/pager.
People can become 'virtual crew members' by logging on and registering their details to receive the free 'pager' that displays when a lifeboat is launched.
There is the option to choose launch alerts for individual RNLI lifeboat stations, regional groups of stations or all 232 stations around the coasts of the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Alison O'Neill, RNLI's emedia manager, says: “Every time the pager pings on to the screen it means that RNLI volunteers are dropping everything and heading out to sea to help someone who could be in trouble. There are on average 20 lifeboat launches a day and this pager really shows just what a busy and vital service RNLI lifeboats provide.
“What the pager doesn't reveal is all the work that goes on behind the scenes - the crew and shore helpers launching and recovering the lifeboat in often dark and dangerous conditions, the maintenance of the lifeboat after a shout, the regular crew training sessions, and the safety talks and station visits that are frequently organised.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for people to get involved in their local lifeboat station and the RNLI charity. We live in a digital age and we hope this virtual pager will bring the RNLI even closer to its supporters.”
The pager also includes a drop-down information banner with the latest RNLI information so supporters can keep up to date with what's going on within the charity as a whole.
Jonathan Clark, volunteer coxswain of Poole RNLI lifeboat, said: “I think it's a great idea. We have lots of supporters who have often requested to be told every time we launch. Although we update the station's website regularly with details of all our shouts, I think this will go a long way in making sure that people are even more involved with the station and crew.”
Alison added: “We do advise people not to contact the lifeboat station if they receive a launch alert. The virtual pager is directly connected to our pagers and tracks lifeboat launches automatically. However the alerts are not displayed in exact real-time. This allows crew the vital minutes that they need in order to prepare the lifeboat and launch for the shout - in some situations seconds can literally mean the difference between life and death.
“There are also occasions when lifeboats launch without being paged, for example when the crew are on exercise, are attending in support of another lifeboat or because they have been asked to launch by other means, so I'd like to stress that the desktop pager is simply an indication of lifeboat activity rather than a definitive account of every single lifeboat launch.”
The virtual pager system is a simple and cost-effective development of the RNLI website's current launch monitor, 'Out on a Shout', which indicates on a map each time a lifeboat is launched.
The desktop pager can be programmed to start up as soon as the computer is switched on, and needs internet access to monitor launches. It works with operating systems up to and including Windows XP and Mac OSX.
