Meeting up at our Ladybridge Hall Base / HQ for an early 08.30hrs departure this morning, team members headed off in the rain and wind, to attend the ‘Emergency 999’ ‘Show and Tell’ event held today at the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Services Training Centre, Washington Hall, Euxton Lane, Chorley, Lancashire.

This event which was not open to the public, was a multi agency ‘Show and Tell’ day for Category 1 and 2 Responders, which included Public Sector, Statutory 999 and Voluntary Sector services.

It was planned as an event at which the assets and capabilities which would be available in the event of a ‘Major Incident’ in Lancashire, could be show cased, with all the liaison and net working opportunities such an event can offer.

From the opening at 09.00hrs, two indoor presentations followed by walk around sessions amongst the various displays were held during the day, at 09.30 – 12.30hrs and 13.30 – 16.30hrs.

Sadly for what was essentially an outdoors vehicle, equipment and practical demonstrations event, the heavy rain showers of the day and strong winds marred proceedings, but nevertheless much was achieved by way of forming new liaisons, rekindling friendships and learning about each others capabilities and resources.

In attendance we had twelve of our Team members present, including our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE, our Equipment Officer – Ropes and Stretchers Nigel Booth, and Equipment Officer –Vehicles Neil Aspinall.

On display we had three from four, of our Land Rover Defender Mountain Rescue Ambulances present, our VW Crafter LWB Incident Control Vehicle, our 3.4 metre long semi rigid inflatable SAR Boat and our Catering Trailer – from which we dispensed hot drinks to all the other exhibitors.

We met up with many friends of the team today, including LFRS Officers Shaun Walton and Rodney Steele, GMFRS Officer Ben Levy, Lancashire Constabulary Force Incident Manager Martin Bishop, North West 4×4 Response Howard Buckley and John Forsdick, BRC Kevin Place, Ray Clift, and our colleagues and respected friends from Bowland Pennine MRT and Rossendale and Pendle MRT.

The following agencies were present today and displaying their numerous resources, apologies for any organisations left off this listing;

• Lancashire Constabulary- including CBRN
• Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service – including ISAR, USAR, mobile Fire Station, Heavy Animal Rescue Unit, SoftTrac and Polaris vehicles, and their Rope Rescue Team.
• North West Ambulance Service.
• North West Ambulance Service HART.
• British Red Cross – including FESS, Ambulance, Command Unit and Response vehicles.
• Bay Search and Rescue – including two of their unique Hagglund BV206 All Terrain Rescue Vehicles, and their equally unique Diamondback ‘Flood Rescue’ AirBoat.
• HM Coast Guard – Two vehicles.
• Highways Agency Traffic Officers and two of their Patrol Vehicles.
• Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Royal Logistics Corps.
• Preston branch of the Samaritans.
• Fire Service DIM Team vehicle (Detect, identify and Monitoring – a National resilience resource to identify chemical agents, whether liquid or gaseous) with GMFRS Ben Levy present, in his NILO role – National Interagency Liaison Officer.
• Royal Voluntary Service.
• Hough Green (Heavy Rescue cranes)
• Rad Safe – dealing with the transportation of radioactive materials.
• North West 4×4 Response
• Bolton MRT, with our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE, eleven team members, three Land Rover Defender Mountain Rescue Ambulances, our Incident Control vehicle, SAR Boat and Catering Unit.
• Bowland Pennine MRT, with their Deputy Team Leader Andy Binstead and three team members, one Land Rover Defender Mountain Rescue Ambulance and their Incident Control Vehicle.
• Salvation Army
• Emergency Blood Bikes.
• Central Lancashire RAYNET.
• Rossendale and Pendle MRT, with their Team Leader Pete Goble and three other team members, their Toyota HiLux and Land Rover Discovery Mountain Rescue Ambulance vehicles.

An excellent booklet featuring all agencies and organisations present was made available to all, with thanks to British Red Cross Emergency Response Manager, Kevin Place, for co-ordinating and producing this document.

A special mention for the excellent dinner served up to all attending – the hot meal choice , hot drinks and warmth of the canteen, being particularly welcomed given the cold outside temperatures.

Bolton MRT would finally like to thank LFRS Officer Rodney Steele for his fantastic efforts in organising today, which was a great success, and we all look forward to a repeat event in 2016.