This morning at 09.00hrs team members assembled at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ to journey on to the intu Trafford Centre, Manchester, where we joined GMP, GMFRS, NWAS (Manchester) and a huge number of other voluntary emergency and voluntary aid groups at this years (Greater Manchester) Emergency Services Open Day event at the intu Trafford Centre.
Now in its fourth year, this event is widely regarded to be one of the biggest of its kind in the UK, with a large number of emergency and response vehicles present, alongside emergency incident demonstrations.
All our vehicles were present today within the ‘Mountain Rescue Zone’ including our four Land Rover Ambulance vehicles, our Minibus / Crewbus Ambulance, our Incident Control Vehicle and our SAR Boat along with exhibition material relating to the work of the team – displayed within our eye catching new display tent.
Our MR Fleet on Display
Our colleagues from Rossendale and Pendle MRT were also present within the ‘Mountain Rescue Zone,’ displaying their Land Rover Discovery Ambulance and Toyota HiLux Ambulance vehicles.
In total we had twelve team call Out list members present today, including one of our Life Vice Presidents, Alan James, Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE, and Deputy Team Leader Chris Greenhalgh.
The Team
Three Support Group members, Gillian Gregory, Dave Rees and Iain Clarkson attended to crew our Catering Trailer, which as in previous years at this event, was on hand to provide hot and cold drinks and biscuits to all the exhibitors present (The Salvation Army was also present as usual, providing sandwiches and hot drinks to all the exhibitors attending)
Sam McKay with two of the Rossendale & Pendle Mountain Rescue Team Members
The following is a listing of all the various Emergency Services, organisations, groups and societies which were present today for the event which opened officially at 10.00hrs, to amazing crowds right from the very start – with apologies to anybody we have missed out!
- Greater Manchester Police… including
- the Chief Constable
- Mounted Division
- Armed Response Unit
- Traffic Units
- Motorbikes
- Tactical Aid Unit
- Dog Unit
- Special Constabulary
- Crime Scene Investigation Unit
- PCSOs.
- Greater Manchester Police Museum and Archives.
- Drive Safe Casualty Reduction Partnership.
- Care of Police Families.
- Retrak – No child forced to live on the street.
- The Boys Brigade and the Girls Brigade.
- Police Car UK – ex Police vehicles display.
- Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service
- vehicle displays included Pump Appliances from Rochdale, Stretford and Sale Community Fire stations
- 6×6 Pinzgauer from Bolton North Community Fire Station
- Children’s mini Fire Appliance
- Disco and Bubbles Fire Engine
- Hydraulic Platform (Massive queues by children being given ‘rides’ in to the sky on this)
- RescueMax JCB ATV
- Public Safety Display Unit
- Command Unit Appliance
- Enhanced Rescue Unit Appliance
- 2x USAR Prime Mover Appliances
- Water Rescue Unit
- Operational Support unit Appliance
- Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service Dog Unit – Handler Mick Dewar with his USAR and Fire Accelerant Dogs
- Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service Fire Cadets and Young Peoples Team
- Greater Manchester Fire Museum with their Dennis Metz Turntable Appliance
- Blood Bikes Manchester
- Blood transfusion service
- City Airport and Heliport Barton (Manchester) Airport Fire Fighting Service, displaying their Land Rover and Toyota HiLux Rapid Intervention Airport Fire Appliances
- RNLI exhibition unit
- St John Ambulance displaying one of their Emergency Ambulance vehicles
- North West Air Ambulance charity
- British Red Cross, with their FESS (Fire Emergency Support Services) vehicle, an Emergency Ambulance, Land Rover Discovery Ambulance and Command Vehicle
- Salvation Army Catering Unit
- Highways Agency with two Traffic Officer Land Rover Discovery vehicles
- Electricity North West
- RSPCA Flood Rescue Unit complete with their semi rigid inflatable SAR Boat
- Scouts UK
- RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders
- Bolton and District Group of the Institute of Advanced Motorists
- The British Army, including displays from 103 Regiment, Royal Artillery, 4th Battalion The Duke of Lancasters Regiment, 156 Regiment Royal logistics Corps
- North West Ambulance Service
- vehicle displays included a Rapid Response Vehicle R386
- Emergency Ambulances A591 and A337
- and Event Emergency Vehicle
- North West Ambulance Service “Pandamedic”
- North West Ambulance Service Community First Responders.
- North west Ambulance Service HART (Hazardous Area Response Team)
- vehicle display included Public Support Unit
- Incident Response 4×4 Unit
- Incident Response Unit
- Polaris 6×6 All terrain vehicle
- and Incident Response Command Unit.
- North West Police Underwater Search and Marine Unit.
The day for us was a great success, from meeting the public who so kindly support us to liaising with our many friends within the emergency and other services present, through to making new friends.
Thanks to the kindness of the many visitors to our display we raised £42.67p in donations.
Team dummy and resuscitation doll…
At 12.02hrs during this event, our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE was contacted directly by a GMP Missing Person Search Manager to place the team on standby, alongside Rossendale and Pendle MRT, for a developing search in the Abram area of Wigan for a missing 49 years old man.
Our Catering Trailer with GMP Officers
At 14.04hrs this developed in to a full team call out, and shortly thereafter we had to leave the event earlier than the planned 17.00hrs finish, along with RPMRT, to journey to the search RVP. (Please see Incident Report 77/2014)
Issac Johnston with mum Lyndsay
We would like to place on record our thanks to the organiser of today, GMFRS Station Manager Gethin Curzon of Stretford Community Fire Station, for inviting us to take part in this fantastic and very enjoyable display.
