Today very early this morning four Trainee Team Call Out List members, Jess Ellsmore, Doctor Mark Jeffrey, Chris Weatherhead and Michael Wakerley, journeyed in our Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulance vehicle ‘BM1’ to Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service’s HQ and Training School at Sadler Road, Winsford, to take part in an Incident Safety Assessment and Control (ISAC) course, organised and facilitated by ATACC (Anaesthesia Trauma and Critical Care) and Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.
This is the eighth time team members have participated in this excellent course, the first being 19th November 2009, when our Team Doctor at the time, Clare Whitney and current SARDA (Wales) Dog Handler Steve Nelson attended, with the second being on 22nd April 2010, when our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE and Team Call Out list member (and Regional MR Water Officer at the time) Fred Taylor attended, the third when very experienced Team Call Out list member Chris Tennant and at that time, Trainee Team member Nick Berry attended on 15th July 2010, the fourth when our Training Officer at the time, Elaine Gilliland, and team Call Out list members John Fletcher and Paul Brain attended on 25th November 2010 and the fifth on 12th May 2011, when Trainee Team members at the time, John Dickinson, Paul Copley and Paul Chisholm all attended. On 23rd February 2012, four team members participated for our sixth course, Michael O’Brien, Steve O’Hara, Neil Warburton and Dave Marsh (A former SARDA Dog Handler, current trainee DVSD Handler and our present Training Officer), the last course attended (Our seventh) was on 20th September 2012, attended by our Treasurer Martin Banks and Samantha McKay.
Bolton MRT Team Call Out list member Alistair Greenough, who in full time employment is an Accident and Emergency Nurse at Warrington Hospital, is an instructor on this excellent recognised course, and today participated in leading sessions and assisted with many of the ‘hands on scenarios.’
Other course instructors and lecturers today came from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, Warrington Hospital, GMP Tactical Firearms Unit and West Cork Medical Rapid Response.
Course students alongside the Bolton MRT ‘four,’ included members of Cheshire Search and Rescue Team, Aintree Hospital, Countess of Chester Hospital, Liverpool Royal Hospital, Warrington Hospital and Whiston Hospital.
The ISAC course concentrates on incident scene safety, the safety of the emergency responders, increasing incident scene awareness and multi agency working, with both classroom based sessions and outdoor practical exercises and incident scenarios.
Our four attendees today, would like to thank all the lecturers and helpers, and also their fellow emergency services and health care colleagues on the course for welcoming them so openly.
Thanks also to Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service for providing such excellent facilities.
Jess, Mark, Chris and Michael, all stated they found it a very enjoyable and highly informative day.
A special thanks to Bolton MRT Team member Alistair Greenough for continuing to arrange placements for Bolton MRT members on this excellent course.
There follows a personal account of today from all four of our Bolton MRT Trainee Team members who attended today;
“We had a really interesting and useful day at the ISAC course. It began with lectures on assessing incidents scenes, identifying hazards and predicting injuries based on your findings.
We then went outside to a mock motorway incident for demonstrations of kit from all the teams involved – Pre-Hospital Care Doctors, Paramedics, A&E Nurses, our own equipment and Cheshire Search and Rescue Team.
We practised extricating casualties from crashed vehicles with the help of the Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service who removed the roof for us! There were a number of other ‘interesting’ scenarios including managing multiple casualties under the direction of the GMP Armed Response Team.
It was a fantastic opportunity to see how other emergency services work and to learn to work together. Many thanks to Alistair Greenhough, Bolton Mountain Rescue Team member and Emergency Nurse Practitioner for not only getting us places, but also teaching alongside the other absolutely top notch instructors. Mark, Mike, Jess and Chris.”
As a footnote our very own Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE would in turn like to thank Mark, Mike, Jess and Chris, for their very kind little gift that he was presented with by our latest ISAC 4!
Please also see website ‘news’ reports, dated 19th November 2009, 22nd April 2010, 15th July 2010, 25th November 2010, 12th May 2011, 23rd February 2012 and 20th September 2012.
