This evening the Bolton MRT attended the regular (Circa three times a year) Lancashire Constabulary Search and Rescue meeting, commencing at 18.30hrs at Lancashire Constabulary Force Headquarters, Strategic Command Centre, Hutton, Preston.

Held for a very long number of years, the meeting serves to bring together the MRTs and other search assets and agencies operating in Lancashire in a discussion forum with representatives from Lancashire Constabulary, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and NWAS (Lancashire).

In the case of the MRTs attending, they are represented by their Team Leaders and other Team Officers involved in managing, coordinating and arranging emergency MRT responses.

Attending this evening were; Lancashire Constabulary, including their Civil Contingencies Unit, Emergency Planning Officer Richard Holmes and a POLSA, Officers from HMCG, our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE, Dave Marsh and Dave Cook, representing the interests of Bolton MRT, Deputy Team Leader Andy Binstead and Simon Harris of Bowland Pennine MRT, Deputy Team Leader Andy Simpson and Kev Garvey of Rossendale and Pendle MRT, two members of the Cave Rescue Organisation (CRO), Rod Steele an Officer from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, Pete Ballen of NWAS with apologies received from the National Police Air Service NPAS 23 helicopter, operating out of BAE Systems Warton, Bay Search and Rescue and the North West Police Underwater Search and Marine Unit.

The meeting commenced with a presentation from Bolton MRT members Dave Marsh, on Drowned Victims Search Dogs (Dave Marsh is A DVSD Dog Handler with DVSD Search Dog Sasha, and also a member of SARDA Ireland North ) followed by Dave Cook, our Equipment Officer – Water, on the ‘Water team and SAR Boat capabilities’ of the Bolton MRT, which was well received by all present.

The main business of the meeting then took place which was as usual, very productive with discussions on matters arising, the future format and contents of this meeting, member units updates, Incident Reviews, and items of mutual interest.

Thanks are expressed to Inspector David Old of Lancashire Constabulary Civil Contingencies Unit for his excellent Chairmanship once again of this his third Search and Rescue meeting, since taking over the reigns last September from his now retired predecessor Inspector Neil Sherry.

Big thanks to Richard Holmes for volunteering (being volunteered? ) for his valued part in taking the minutes (A role normally undertaken by Alayne Anderson, who couldn’t be present tonight)

The meeting concluded at 21.30hrs.

(Bolton MRT and Rossendale and Pendle MRT also attend the equivalent of this meeting in Greater Manchester, currently held two times a year under the auspices of the Greater Manchester Emergency Services Liaison Group meeting, alongside other MRTs who operate in Greater Manchester)