This afternoon at the invitation of GMP Police Community Support Officer
Heather Betton, the team attended an ’Emergency Services Event’ at Crompton
Childrens Centre, Bolton.
There follows an account of the afternoons proceedings by very experienced
Team call out list member Chris Tennant.
“For a change the weather on Thursday (19th Aug) was fine, as C10 and Nick Berry set off from LBH in a team motor (BM1) heading for the Crompton Childrens Centre in Chalfont St, Bolton. It took longer than anticipated due to initial choice of route and then being thwarted by a succession of NO Left and Right turns – you don’t get this problem on the hill. However, we arrived safely and were warmly greeted by PCSO Heather Betton, the organiser, who immediately set about securing us a brew – well it was lunch time.
After a quite start the ’playing’ of the sirens on our vehicle, quickly followed by those of the attending police Video Unit van, soon brought increasing numbers of kids hurrying to the site, many accompanied by various relations.
Fortunately we were soon joined by Steve Nelson and Dave Marsh with his dog Chi.
ex search dog Chi controlling the children
Well how many kids can you get in a Landrover Cab? and how many tunes can you play on the Sirens? – I don’t know because I lost count but at least the children seemed to enjoy it. Whilst I was being deafened, Nick & Steve were busy supervising (and providing the main lifting power) stretcher rides round the premises.
In an effort to prevent the battery being flattened (successful) the vehicle was locked – having first checked that we had managed to ’evict’ everyone.
To provide further ’entertainment’ the vacuum splints were demonstrated and each of the three splints ended up with queues forming with plaintive cries of “Me next” the only problem being that though we have three splints in a set there is only one pump – that being all that’s normally required – so there were queues for the pump as well, since they (the kids) all seemed to want a go at both, with many of the girls being more competent than the boys!
vacuum splints in action
At last, at least to the team members, the session came to a close and the children, some of them reluctantly, left the site.
With the kit tidied away and the vehicle checked, Chris and Nick (Dave and Steve having other commitments) were invited into the centre for a chat about the event and a very welcome brew and biscuits.
Heather and Judith Brooks (the Neighbourhood Management Support Officer) both expressed their thanks for the teams attendance and said how much the children had appeared to enjoy our contribution.
The Landrover and its tired crew returned to base by the direct route, reaching there before the weather broke.”
