Today team Call Out list members and our Support Group were present at GMFRS Bolton North Community Fire Station Open Day, Crompton Way, where Bolton MRT Team Call Out list member Nigel Booth works as a GMFRS Watch Manager.
Despite the damp autumn conditions, the Open Day was very well attended from start to finish.
As usual, a wide range of Fire Appliances were on show, including two Pump Appliances, an Aerial Ladder Platform, a specialist Hose Layer Unit, the Water Incident Unit and their Boat from GMFRS Eccles Fire Station, the Bolton North based specialist 6×6 Pinzgauer and a small All Terrain Vehicle equipped for wildfire operations.
The Greater Manchester Fire Service Museum brought along their impressive fully restored Dennis Metz Turntable Ladder appliance, whilst GMFRS had their ever popular ‘Mini Fire Engine’ giving experience rides to children (Too small for the many envious mums and dads to squeeze in to though !)
GMFRS Community Volunteers were on hand including their ‘Face Painting’ and ‘Bouncy Castle’ attractions.
The impressive ‘what not to do in a kitchen fire’ demonstration unit once again brought home the dangers of tackling pan fat fires with water, whilst a number of RTC extrication demonstrations also took place.
GMP (Their Bolton – Astley Bridge Station is next door) attended with two Traffic Cars, and PCSOs handing out driver safety awareness literature.
Other Community Safety and similar stalls were also present.
Bolton MRT garages one of its four Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulances at GMFRS Bolton North Fire Station, and this vehicle, callsign ‘Bolton Mobile 1’ formed our display alongside our Minibus / Crewbus Ambulance.
Attending from the team Call Out list membership were our President Bob Hutchinson, Chairman Craig Lamb, Chris Tennant, Equipment Officer (Water) John Fletcher, David Crawford, and Phil Crook.
Our Support Group members Iain Clarkson, Sarah Hindle, Laura Tunnicliffe, and Andrew Hitchon attended, with our stock of 2nd hand books (All donations accepted) the teams Christmas Cards featuring our specially drawn Xmas cartoon and our Mr Gingerbread (where is he hiding) competition.
We are very pleased to announce that the team received £110.11p in donations from kind members of the public visiting our display today.
During our attendance today, a young girl was injured in a road traffic accident just metres away from the Fire Station frontage onto Crompton Way.
Some Fire Fighters were on scene very quickly to render care, alongside team members Craig Lamb and David Crawford.
An NWAS Emergency Ambulance quickly arrived and with their services not required, Craig and David returned to our display.
Later the two GMFRS Pump Appliances present were called out from GMFRS Bolton North Community Fire Station to the report of a fire in a residential property, whilst our team then received an emergency call from NWAS to attend a mountain bike accident (See Incident Report 99 -2013)
So all the visitors to todays Open Day saw first hand, clearly how emergency services (In this case Ambulance, Fire and Mountain Rescue) react to initially receiving a emergency call out request and then responding to such.
During todays Open Day, our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE dropped by with his partner Ann, and their two Grandchildren, during which Garry met with also visiting, former Team member from the late 1960’s and valued long time team friend, Ray Clift, who with GMFS and then GMFRS was a long term Fire fighter based at Bolton North, and who now works on national fire service projects.
Ray passed on to all in the team his best wishes with a promise to meet up soon. (Ray alongside former GMFRS Divisional Officer Kevan Whitehead, was instrumental in securing the use of our now long standing use of twin bay garage facilities courtesy of GMFRS, at GMFRS Bolton Central fire Station)
The Bolton MRT would like to extend its thanks to GMFRS Bolton North Community Fire Station, Station Manager Wayne Guffogg, and to Watch Manager Nigel Booth, for kindly inviting us to attend todays Fire Station Open Day.
