Further to an initial meeting with GMFRS Red Watch, Horwich Fire Station on Tuesday 13th November 2012, at which our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE and very experienced team call out list member Gyles Denn discussed with GMFRS Horwich Red Watch Manager Craig Lunt, the possibility of a Joint rope training exercise, today all came together for just such an exercise.

Yesterdays snow had largely melted from the local moorlands but there was still plenty of ice around at the moorland quarry exercise venue of Wilton 1 Quarry just off Scout Road.

The scenario, planned and set up by Gyles Denn, saw a passer by down climbing to render assistance to an adult and a child who had slipped over the quarry edge landing injured on a rock ledge.

The passer by had become stranded, prompting an emergency call to the Fire Service.

They in turn requested the Bolton MRT to attend to rescue the seriously injured adult and uninjured child on the rock ledge.

The exercise was played out in ‘real time,’ with the opportunity taken to compare rescue approaches and methods used by GMFRS and Bolton MRT within this scenario.

The RVP was on Scout Road, with all assembling at this RVP by 09.45hrs which included Fire Appliances from Bolton Central and Horwich Fire Stations, and Bolton MRT members.

A further Mobilisation saw GMFRS resources responding fro Bolton North Fire Station, who met at the Wilton arms Public house at the base of the quarry.
By mid day all elements of the exercise had been successfully completed, with much interest in the mountain rescue element being shown by the GMFRS personnel present.

The following resources were involved in this exercise;

• Bolton MRT; Four Team Land Rover Ambulance Vehicles, BM1 / BM2 / BM3 / BM4, and fifteen team call out list members.
• GMFRS; Horwich Pump Appliance G52P1, Bolton Central second Pump Appliance G50P2, Bolton North Pump Appliance G51P1 and Bolton North L6P Off Road Pump Appliance Pinzgauer G51M2, Fire crews and Officers.

The Bolton MRT welcomes the opportunity to train with our colleagues in GMFRS and looks forward to more joint training opportunities.