Commencing on Wednesday 3rd October 2012, and having dominated the majority of our Wednesday night training sessions since that time, the team tonight entered into the ‘dreaded’ examinations phase of our MREW Mountain Rescue Casualty Care Course.

This course developed over a great many years is the ‘benchmark’ casualty care course undertaken by those in mountain rescue within England and Wales. (And now adopted we understand by Scottish Mountain Rescue)

The multi session long syllabus has been very comprehensive, and ends with a stringent written examination, and practical medical and trauma exercise scenarios.

The course has to be retaken every three years and for those longer serving Bolton MRT members it has become something definitely ‘not to look forward to!’ despite our 100% pass rate (Ok allowing sometimes for the odd retake)
All Bolton MRT active operational members have to undertake this course, hence its inclusion on our routine Wednesday evening training programme.
At the start of the course on 3rd October last year, we were all assessed for basic casualty approach, Basic Life Support (BLS) and CPR (Cardiopulmonary resuscitation)

This evening twenty Team Call Out list members, one trainee Team member and one Probationary Team member all sat their stringent written examination.

On Wednesday evening 27th March this same group will all sit their practical medical and trauma exercise scenarios examination.

The rest of the team membership will sit their examinations on Wednesday 1st May 2013 (Written) and Wednesday 15th May 2013 (Practicals) , which will include our seven other Probationary Team members and the rest of our Team Call Out list membership.

Thanks to Bolton MRT members Alistair Greenough (A full time A&E Nurse) and Mark Scott (An NWAS accredited CPR Trainer) who invigilated for the written examination this evening.