Our usual weekly training session this evening took place involving two separate sessions at two venues.
‘Group 1,’ at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ, saw the 2nd session for our membership of our Annual CPR and Basic Life Support Test / assessment including an overview of the use and operation of the five AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) of two types that we have within the team, ordinarily kept on team vehicles.
28x Bolton MRT Call Out list members first attended this training on Wednesday 2nd October 2013, and tonight saw a further thirteen team Call Out list members attend this valuable life saving training.
They were joined by Bolton MRT Support Group members Iain Clarkson, Gillian Gregory (Also our Team Secretary) and Amanda Strickleton, who all wished to be involved in this training.
As with the first session, very experienced team member Mark Scott undertook the training aspects of this evening, in his role as an accredited NWAS BLS / AED Trainer by giving an excellent powerpoint presentation on all we needed to know about the ‘Chain of Survival.’
Mark, with thanks to NWAS, also brought along some ‘Training Only AEDs,’ for team members to utilise in the practical training that took place after Marks informative and interesting presentation.
(Please also see website ‘News’ item dated Wednesday 2nd October 2013)
‘Group 2,’ constituting the rest of the available team membership tonight, were at a very wet and very misty Leicester Mill Quarry at Anglezarke, undertaking some night time very steep ground stretcher handling training, including a short vertical rock face and a rock step / scramble, involving the use of ‘drag ropes.’
Twenty one team members took part in this exercise, with the rain and dense mist adding to the sombre atmosphere of this very steep (175 feet at its highest point) and impressive quarry.
We were joined by three enthusiastic team members from our colleagues at Cheshire Search and Rescue Team, Deputy Team Leader Phil Walton, Rick Lane and Fabrice Fleurot, who thoroughly enjoyed the evenings training.
Courtney Chisholm, the teenage daughter of team member Paul Chisholm kindly volunteered (was volunteered by her dad!) to be our exercise casualty for this wet evening.
Towards the end of the exercise, team member Matthew Hailwood, exacerbating a old back injury, suffered a back strain, with Courtney quickly being replaced by Matthew on our stretcher! (Thankfully Matthew was sent home with strong pain killers after going to hospital for a cursory check over)
A small number of Cheshire SART members will next be joining us for our Wednesday evening exercise of 20th November 2013.
