At 07:45 this morning our Team Leader Garry Rhodes was contacted directly by the Greater Manchester Police Force Duty Officer to put the team on immediate standby & readiness should the need arise for the team to mobilise in support of the severe flooding in Cumbria. (Cumbria Constabulary had been in contact with GMP)
Greater Manchester Police also placed specialist officers within their own force on standby alongside liaising with the response to this incident by Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service, and Greater Manchester-based elements of NWAS.
Our Team Leader was requested by the GMP Force Duty Officer to contact and also place on standby the Rossendale & Pendle MRT and Oldham MRT.
All three MRTs remained on standby throughout the morning but their services were not required.
A number of Bolton team members were involved in preliminary preparations should the call have come to mobilise the team.
This stand-by has not been recorded as an incident by the team and is reported here for information only.
A major mobilisation of Cumbrian MRTs, backed up by colleague MRTs from Northumberland and North Yorkshire took place, including specialist members from all of these teams in swiftwater search & rescue and their rescue boat assets as well as the normal resources of all the MRTs involved.
(Bolton team member Andy Kench, in his full-time capacity as an RSPCA Inspector and member of the RSPCA Flood Response Team was mobilised to Cumbria)
The team’s condolences are expressed to PC Bill Barker’s family, colleagues and friends. PC Barker was sadly killed during the floods.
