This evening 25 team members in all five of our team vehicles journeyed to the still very new premises of the NWAS HART team at Ashburton Point, Trafford Park, Manchester.

On Tuesday 10th May this year (see report of that date), seven team members visited the HART Team, with the visit this evening being for the benefit of the full team and also to build upon our continuing liaison with the HART Team (Hazardous Area Response Team).

NWAS HART Head of Special Operations, Joe Barrett, met the team and gave a very interesting (and specially prepared for us) Powerpoint presentation on the formation, role and work of HART in the Ambulance Services across the UK.

We then went into the impressive main garage bay where they on duty seven staff members then gave our team members present tours and presentations on the various HART vehicles and equipment carried on them (Rapid Response Vehicles – Volvo XC70 and Land Rover Discovery; Water Incident Unit – Nissan Navara; Forward Command Vehicle, Forward Reconnaisance Vehicle, Heavy Equipment Vehicle and their two Polaris ATVs to which team member Matthew Hailwood tried, to no avail, to get the chance to drive one!)

During this vehicle and kit demonstration the HART team was called out returning shortly afterwards having been stood down en-route. Upon their return, the presentation continued with a great deal of conversation between the Bolton MRT and HART team members.

It was then our turn to demonstrate our vehicles and kit, during which the HART team was then mobilised to two concurrent incidents in the NWAS region.

The Bolton MRT places great emphasis on liaison visits of this nature.

The team would like to express its thanks to Head of Special Operations, Joe Barrett, and HART Training Manager Simon Watson for organising this visit tonight. We would also like to thank the on-duty HART crew for their hospitality and interest shown in our work.